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Bibliothdque  nationale  du  Canada 


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filmage. 

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la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

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cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
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de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nicessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


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TH8 


CATHOLIC  PIONEERS 


OF 


A.MERICA. 


BY 


JOHN  O'KANE  MURRAY,  M.  A.,  M.D.. 

AUTHOR  OF  THE   'POPULAR  HISTORY  OF  THE  CATHOUC 
CHURCH  IN  THE  UNITED  STA  TES  OF  AMERICA      "PROSF 
AND  POETRY  OF  IRELAND,"  ^'LITTLE  LIVES  OF  THE 
GREA  T  SAINTS,"  "LESSONS  IN  ENGLISH  I  ITER  A- 
TURE,"   AND  -LIVES  OF  THI    CA  THOI.IC  HE- 
ROES AND  HEROINES   OF  AMERICA  •' 


Honor  to  whom  honor  is  due. 
Veritas  vincit  omnia. 


men 


"Next  to  the  merit  of  performing  worthy  deeds  is.  if  not  equal    th 
■ru  of  duly  recording  them."~Afr/ib,s/ioP  Mac  Hale  ' 


NEW    EDITION,    REVISED. 


PHII^ADELPHIA : 

H.  I..  KILNER  &  CO., 

PUBUSUIiRS. 


COPYRIGHT, 

1882, 

By  John  O'Kank  Murray,  M.  A.,  M.  D, 

All  Rights  Reserved. 


THIS  BOOK 

18  MOST  AFFECriONATKLY    DKDICATEU  TO   MY   BROTHERS— 

Rev.  BERNARD  F.  MURRAY, 

Mr.  JAMES  J.  MURRAY, 

AND 

Mk.  EDWARD  F.  MURRAY, 

in  memory  of  our  school-days  and  many  pleasant  rambles  by  field  and 
wood  and  water  in  this  Western  World,  which  owes  so  much  to  its  noble 
Catholic  Pioneets. 


1 
I 

II 

tl 


PREFACE. 


HIS  little  volume  is  the  imperfect  fulfilment  of  a 
long-cherislied  design.  It  trenches  on  no  other 
work  h  merely  moves  into  an  unoccupied 
place — a  place  of  its  own. 

We  speak  a  language  in  which,  I  regret  to  say,  it  has 
been  the  fashion  for  centuries  to  give  as  little  credit  as 
possible  to  Catholics  and  the  Catholic  Religion.  I  have 
often  fell  the  want  of  a  cheap,  handy  work  on  the  present 
subject.  Among  people  otherwise  well  informed,  there 
is.  beyond  all  doubt,  a  great  deal  of  disgraceful  ignorance 
as  to  what  Catholics  have  achieved  in  the  New  World. 

Let  me  illustrate  On  one  occasion,  an  American  lady — 
wiio  had  just  given  the  finishing  touches  to  her  education 
at  Paris — expressed  astonishment  on  my  saying  that 
Cluistopiier  Columbus  was  a  Catholic,  and  that  he  found 
in  iiis  religion  the  chief  motive  that  led  him  to  double  the 
^ize  of  the  world's  map.  It  seemed  to  sound  stranger 
than  if  I  had  asserted  that  the  illustrious  .Admiral  was 
a  Mormon,  a  Mahometan,  or  even  the  great  grandson  of 
Jack  the  Giant-killer.  Some  \ears  ago,  I  was  amused  to 
hear  an  educated  gentleman  state  that  Champlain  was  a 
Huguenot,  because  his  name  was  Samuel;  and  he  assured 
me  that  he  had  tjjis  ridiculous  piece  of  information  from 
the  principal  of  a  school  in  Canada.  A  well-known  ])ro- 
fessional  gentleman  of  this  city  recently  expresseil  some 


vi 


Pre/cue, 


surprise  on  hearing  that  Magellan  was  a  Catholic.  But 
it  is  unnecessary  to  multiply  such  instances.  Books  and 
conversation  furnish  them  in  abundance.  1  am  not  a  .vare, 
however,  of  any  j-ood  reason  why  this  sini^iiljr  ignorance 
should  prevail.  l'e(jple  wiio  ciin  tiiix  ihienilv  on  Silting 
Ihill,  Cai)tain  Kidd,  Tom  I'aine,  or  Brigh.im  \oung,  might 
t  crtainly  be  expected  to  know  something  about  the  great 
Catholics  wiio  discovered,  explored,  and  settled  America. 

But  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  ordinary  sources  of 
information  are  very  imperfect.  I  take  up  one  ot  the 
most  popular  encyclopaedias  in  this  country,  and  l{;ok  in 
vain  for  Mar(]uelte,  Rochambeau,  Jogues,  De  Biebeuf, 
rinzon,  Champlain,  La  Salle,  De  Maisonneuve,  Barry, 
Callitzin,  Castcjn,  ('harles  Carroll  of  Carrollion,  and,  in- 
deed, most  of  the  names  i.i  this  volume.  Was  it  preju- 
dice or  ignorance — or  both — in  the  compilers  that  led  to 
such  a  shnmefnl  omission  ?  I  turn  over  the  pages  of  the 
s;ime  boasted  encyclopa?din,  and  I  find  that  the  traitor 
lU'nedict  Arnold  gets  nearly  half  a  column  of  close  print; 
tlie  immoral  monster  Hrigham  Young,  nearly  a  column; 
the  infidel  Tom  Paine,  a  column;  and  the  spy  Andre,  two 
columns!  This  is  the  way  fame  is  distributed  and  merit 
rewarded  l)y  the  publishing  blockheads  and  bigoted 
literary  hacks  who  get  up  what  is  called  an  encyclopaedia. 

"Wh.v  not  consult  the  standard  works  on  American 
history  ?"  somebody  may  suggest.  Just  so,  my  friend. 
We  shall  reach  them  in  a  moment.  Many  of  them  cer- 
tainly ( laim  our  attention — if  it  be  for  nothing  else  than 
the  extreme  care  taken  by  their  authors  to  insult  the 
Catholic  reader  by  slandering  the  Catholic  Church  as 
often  as  convenient.     Bancroft  has  written  a  small  library 


J^rrfnic. 


VII 


called  T/ie  History  of  the  I'nited  States.  1  pick  up  ihe 
first  volume,  and  scarcely  get  half-through,  when  1  an» 
rewarded  tor  my  industry  by  being  informed  that,  "  Luther 
resisted  the  Roman  Church  for  its  immorality;  Calvin,  fur 
Its  idolatry."  Wl.at  called  for  this  item  of  calumny  \\\ 
The  Jlistory  of  the  United  States?  Hail  JJancroft  read 
more  deeply,  and  not  been  blinded  by  the  false  historical 
infallibility  that  comes  from  being  stuffed  with  religious 
l)rejudices,  lie  might  have  added  in  a  note,  that  Luth.er 
and  Calvin  would  have  lived  and  died  pagans,  if  the 
Catholic  Church  had  not  baptized  them,  instructed  them, 
and  taught  them  the  Ten  (!onnnandments,  which  they 
forgot  to  practise  before  old  age,  and  one  of  which  says, 
riiou  shalt  not  bear  false  witne>m  against  thy  neighbor." 
Parkman,  whose  style  is  charming,  pictures  the  Cath- 
olic Church,  in  one  of  his  finest  works,  as  '*  the  right  arm 
of  tyrants,"  "dark  with  the  passions  of  Hell,"  "masked 
in  hypocrisy  and  lies,"  and  concludes  that  "clearly  she 
is  of  earth,  not  of  Heaven."  Does  he  give  any  facts  in 
proof  of  assertions  so  wild  and  blnsjjhemous  ?  Not  at 
all — how  could  he  ?  In  reading  l^ie  Jesuits  in  North 
America^  we  every  here  and  there  stumble  across  ;  in;h 
offensive  passages,  passages  which  mar  a  book  other- 
wise so  delightful.  Prescott  can  sneer  at  the  Catholic 
Religion  in  exquisite  English;  and  even  the  gentle  Irving 
has  his  moments  of  weakness.  Belknap,  in  his  Biographies 
of  the  Early  Discoverers,  takes  care  to  note  all  about  De 
Soto's  ])igs  and  their  rapid  increase;  but  not  a  word  is 
said  concerning  the  twelve  Catholic  missionaries  who  ac- 
companied the  great  explorer.  On  the  other  hand,  a 
recent  writer,  Mackenzie,  in  his  America — A  IJisto'y,  tells 


V\l\ 


Prfface, 


his  readers  that  De  Soto's  "camp  swarmed  with  priests. 
Do  twelve  priests  make  a  "  swarm"? 

It  is  folly  f.o  expect  fairness  or  justice  at  the  hands  of 
men  who  have  so  little  rt'S|)ect  for  ti'ulh  and  the  Catholic 
Religion.  Belknap  |>lii(cs  the  port  of  Palos  in  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  and  makes  Columbus  sail  through 
the  Straits  of  Gibraltar  in  going  to  America!  This  is 
about  as  correct  as  saying  that  Brooklyn  is  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Si.  Lawrence.  But  blunders  of  this  sort  are 
trifles  compared  to  the  malicious  remarks,  profane  in- 
terpretations, and  ignorant  assertiow*  that  are  given 
forth  willi  such  an  air  of  profound  knowledge.  One 
of  the  foregoing  writers  speaks  of  the  piety  of  the 
Venerable  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation,  as  "  mental 
intoxication,"  and  "  the  vagaries  of  an  insane  mysticism." 
Olier,  says  the  same  author,  *'  signalized  his  piety  by  the 
most  disgusting  exploits  of  self-mortification."  Everett 
knows  no  better  than  to  state  that  he  saw  nuns  saying 
Mass  at  New  Orleans.  A  recent  writer  talks  gravely  of 
"morning  Vespers."  Kip  makes  Father  Rale  celebrate 
Mass  in  the  evening;  and  even  the  cultured  Parkman 
tells  his  readers  that  Father  Jogues  "reached  the  church 
in  time  for  evening  Mass"  on  Christmas  Day.  Mackenzie 
speaks  of  the  Sign  of  the  Cross  as  "the  exhibition  of 
the  Cross" — as  if  a  sign  is  an  exhibition.  Such  idiotic 
blundering  is  enough  to  exasperate  a  saint.  But  it  is 
only  another  proof  of  what  I  have  long  been  convinced — 
that  nearly  all  Protestant  authors  write  about  the 
Catholic  Church  and  its  doctrines  and  ceremonies  out 
of  the  abundance  of  their  ignorance. 

Mackenzie  states  that  Champlain,  "although  a  bigoted 


Preface, 


IX 


Catholic,  was  a  sincere  Christian."  He  informs  his 
readers  that  the  Mississippi  was  discovered  by  "an 
exploring  party  composed  of  six  men."  It  would  not  do  to 
mention  feather  Marquette,  who  was  one  of  the  six.  A«. - 
cordinj^  to  this  singular  method  of  writins;  history,  it  mij^lit 
be  said  that  America  w.is  discovered  by  "a  party  of  sailors 
c(jtnposed  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  men,"  and  (luiitly 
lump  up  Columbus  with  the  crowd  of  nobodies.  In  a 
laige  work  claiming  to  be  a  complete  Ili:^tot)  -^  Xort/i 
and  South  America^  and  recently  published  in  New  York, 
Charles  Carroll  of  CarroUton  is  just  once  rv.'fened  to  as 
"a  respectable  Roman  Catholic  gentleman";  .ud,  mitabiU 
(iictii,  the  l-Jt'^  notorious  James  Kisk  gets  half  S.  \.  ;e  of 
close  print.  Let  is  have  a  new  definition  ut  history, 
How  would  this  do?  "History  is  a  record  of  the  'lecds 
of  successful  rascals,  ruffians,  and  polilirai  humbugs. 
Good  Catholics  are  not  mentioned — or  only  to  be 
sneered  at." 

Those  who  have  read  the  Annals  of  Tacitus  will  re- 
member how  that  famous  historian  but  bigoted  heathen 
speaks  of  the  Christian  Religion  as  a  "dire  superstition." 
The  old  Roman  knew  just  as  much  al)out  the  Christian 
Religion  as  he  did  about  a  steam-engine;  still  he  does 
not  hesitate  to  slander  it  in  elegant  Latin.  It  is  nearly 
the  same  with  the  Protestant  historians  of  America,  from 
Robertson  down  to  Mackenzie.  It  is  nothing  but  "  super- 
stition" here  and  "superstition"  there,  whenever  they 
r-fer  to  the  Catholic  Religion.  Graham,  in  his  History  of 
l\'orth  America^  sneeringly  refers  to  the  immortal  labors 
of  the  Jesuit  Fathers  among  the  Indians  as  the  substitu- 
tion "of  one  superstition  in  place  of  another.  "     He  speaks 


preface. 


of  the  chastity  of  the  Catholic  :nission..ry  as  "supersti- 
tion." St.  John  the  Baptist,  St.  Paul,  and  our  Lord  must 
have  been  very  "  superstitious."  Towlc  ( anuot  write  the 
story  of  Magellan  for  boys  without  saying:  "Men  in 
those  days,  even  the  wisest,  wero  all  sui)erstitious,  and 
believed  in  miracles."  Indeed  I  Now,  wc  have  the  atheist, 
the  infidel,  the  nihilist,  and  the  communist,  who  do  not 
believe  in  miracles — and  we  are  not  happy  !  But  it  is 
only  right  to  know  that  there  are  to-day  two  hundred  and 
fifty  millions  of  sincere,  intelligent  people  who  hold  the 
same  religious  belief  as  Magellan  did,  and  1  feel  it  an  honor 
to  say  that  1  am  one  of  them. 

But  what  is  quite  as  offensive  in  some  American  writers 
as  their  religious  bigotry  is  that  hateful  malady  called 
Anglo-mania.  It  is  a  sort  of  niental  catarrh,  and  is  almost 
incurable.  When  this  disease  assumes  a  chronic  form, 
the  unhappy  victim  of  it  delights  in  playing  literary  flunkey 
to  that  grasping  nation  which  would  have  hanged  George 
Washington,  if  he  had  not  managed,  with  the  aid  of  Roch- 
ambeau,  to  give  them  a  sound  thrashing.  In  theworksof 
the  historian  afflicted  with  Anglo-mania,  an  atteni]jt  is 
made  in  every  chapter — or  as  often  as  ])ossible — to  ram 
England  down  the  reader's  throat,  and  to  offer  for  his 
serious  contemptation  the  unrivalled  Anglo-Saxon  race — 
the  first  of  whom,  be  it  known,  was  Adam  ! 

My  book  has  been  prepared  under  many  disadvantages. 
The  duties  of  an  exacting  profession  called  for  repeated 
delays  and  interruptions — often  as  annoying  as  they  were 
unavoidable.  Just  when  absorbed  in  the  march  of  Cortes 
to  Mexico,  I  have  been  summoned  to  see  a  boy  with  a 
bone  in  his  throat  ;  and  when  I   arrived  on   the  scene,  I 


Pn/aee. 


XI 


found  the  bone  had  happily  taken  its  way  farther  down. 
Often  while  sending  my  pioneer  through  the  Straits  of 
Magellan,  up  the  River  St.  Lawrence  or  down  the  Mis- 
sissippi, I  have  been  suddenly  called  upon  to  study  the 
mysteries  of  malaria,  asthma,  rheumatism,  pneumonia, 
bronchitis,  or  some  of  the  thousand-and-one  ills  to  which 
the  flesh  is  heir.  A  prescription  would  be  written,  and 
then  1  would  take  up  the  broken  thread  of  my  narrative 
to  have  it  again  broken  a  few  minutes  later — perhaps,  by 
a  pushing  book-canvasser  whose  hopes  to  make  a  new 
victim  by  selling  the  works  of  the  great  Bombastus,  or 
some  other  Jumbo  of  literature,  would  be  quickly  dashed 
in  pieces. 

I  have  carefully  consulted  the  best  authorities,  and  be^ 
to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  the  works  of  De 
Lorgues,  Charlevoix,  Faillon,  Ferland,  Bressani.  Robert- 
son, Irving,  Prescott,  Parkman,  Bancroft,  Ramsay,  Towle, 
O'Callaghan,  Kip,  Diaz,  Garneau,  Shea,  Clarke,  White, 
McSherry,  Graham,  Gleason,  Belknap,  Sparks,  Martin, 
Finotti,  Madden,  Spalding,  Margry,  Lafayette,  and 
Rochambeau.  T  have  gladly  quoted  non-Catholic  au- 
thorities. Great  pains  have  been  taken  to  secure  a<> . 
curacy  of  dates,  facts,  and  statements. 

The  New  World,  in  ten  years  more,  will  \n-  rtlebrating 
the  fourth  centenary  of  its  discovery.  I  hope  my  little 
book  will  do  something  to  prepare  the  way  for  that 
glorious  anniversary.  Its  pages  will  ncall  to  mind  many 
a  bright  but  half-forgotten  name,  and  for  the  rest  it  must 
speak  for  itself. 

John  O'Kane  Murray. 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  May  3olh.  1882. 


INDEX  TO   1  HE  LIVES. 


Americus  Vespucius,    . 

JUDIN,  StEPHKN    rH4.0I>0RE, 

iJalboa,  Vasco  Nunez  de, 

I^iltimore,  Loid, 

Barry,  John, 

Bourgeois,  Venerable   Margaret 

Brebeuf,  John  de, 

<:abot,  John, 
Cabot,  Sebastian, 
Calvert,  Leonard, 
Calvert,  George, 
Cancer,  Louis, 
Carey,  Matthew, 
Caron,  Joseph  Je.  , 

Carroll,  Charles, 
Carroll,  John, 
•  'artier,  James, 
Casas,  Barthr'nmew  las,  . 
<'hn.mplain.  Sainiul  de, 
Cheverus.  John  Louis  de, 
Columbus,  Bartholomew, 
Columbus,  Christopher, 
Corpa,  Peter  de. 
Cortes,  Hernando, 
Cosa,  John  de  la. 

OANiKt,.  Anthony, 

Daulac,  Adam,     . 

De  Balboa,  Vasco  Xnfiez, 


35 

427 
53 

326 
29S 

22'' 

'44 
210 

172 

133 
381 

177 
360 

345 
1J5 
153 
184 
37f^ 

41 

I 

170 

95 

20 

217 

243 

53 


Index  to  tluLties. 


De  Brebeuf.  John, 

De  Champlain,  Samuel, 

De  Corpa,  Peitr,  , 

De  la  Cosa,  Jolui, 

De  la  Pellrie,   Maiy  .Magdalen, 

De  la  Saile,  Roberi  Cavelier, 

De  Laval,  Francis  Xavier, 

De  LeoL,  John  Ponce,     . 

De  Maisonneuve,  Paul,  . 

De  Ojeda,  Alonzo, 

De  Soto,  Hernando, 

Diaz,  Bernard,*    .  , 

D'jliard,  Adam,  , 

Dongan,  Thomas,  , 

Dubois,  John, 

England,  John, 
Eicano,  John  Sebastian,  . 

Gaston,   William, 

Galiitzin,  Demetrius  Augustine, 

Guyard,  Venerable  Mary, 

Incarnation  Vfakrahi.k  Mary 
JOGUEs.  Isaac,    . 

La  Cosa.  John  dk. 

Lafayette,  Gilbeit  Motier  de, 

Lalor,  Tere«a. 

La  Peltrie.  Mary  Magdalen  de, 

La  Salle.  Robert  Cavelier  de, 

La,-,  Casas.  Bartholomew, 

Laval.  Francis  Xavier  de, 

Le  Caron,  Joseph. 

Leon.  John   Ponce  de,     . 

MacNkvkn.  Will  iam  James, 
Magellan.  Fernniido. 
Maisonneuve,  Paul  de,     . 


OF  THE 


xni 

.   222 

.   184 

.   170 

2U 

•  275 

.  264 

•  304 
.  6i 
.  290 

•  25 
.  124 

.  162 

•  243 

•  307 
.  402 

.  407 
76 

•  41? 

.  385 
.  279 

.   27(J 

.  198 

20 

•  369 
■  423 

•  275 
.  264 

.  153 

•  304 

.  177 

.  61 

•  396 

.   6:; 

•  29U 


XIV 


Index  to  the  Lives, 


Mance,  Jane, 

Marquette,  James, 

Martinez,  Peter, 

Mary  of  ilie  Incarnation,  the  Venerable, 

M<:ncle/,  janifs, 

.Menciidcv,  iVler, 

Moylan,  Stephen,  .  , 

NUNKZ  DK    li.AI.IiOA,  VASCO,  , 

OjEOA,   Al.()N/()    1)K, 

I'KLTKiK,  Mary  Magdalen  de  la, 
Pinzon,  Vincent  Vaflez, 
Pizarro,  Francis,  .  , 

Pulaski,  Casimir,  ,  , 

Rale,  Sebasiian, 
Roehambeau,  John  Baptist  de,    . 

Salle,  Robek t  Cavelier  de  la, 
Serra,  Francis  Juniper,     . 
Seton,  Elizabeth  Ann, 

Verrazano,  John  da,    . 
Vespucius,  x\niericus,        .  . 

White,  Andrew,  .        ,  , 


.  286 

.  251 

.  150 

279 

■    85 

.  158 

.  343 

58 

25 

275 

48 

113 

318 

313 

332 

264 

321 

•           V 

353 

80 

'    %              • 

35 

234 


•'    < 


THE  CATHOLIC  PTOXEERS  OF  AMERICA. 


i 


CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS. 

T//£  DISCOVEKEK  OF  AMERICA. 
Died  A.  D.  1506. 

HE  eventful  and  glorious  life  of  Christopher 
Columbus  is  that    marvellous    link    in    the 
chain  of  time,  which  connects  the  history  of 
the  Old  World  with  that  of  the  New. 

We  can  catch  but  faint  glimpses  at  the  early 
years  of  this  immortal  genius.  His  virtuous  parents, 
Dominic  Colombo'  and  Susanna  Fontanarossa,  were 
in  fair  circumstances,  when  their  first  child  came  into 
the  wofld, .at  Genoa,  Italy,  about  the  year  1435. 
The  little  stranger  was  baptized  Christopher,  which 
signifies  bearer  of  Christ. 

His  father  gave  him  the  best  education  his  limited 

1  The  name  is  written  Colombo  in  Italiun,  and  Colon  m  Spanish  ;  Columbiw 
is  the  Latinized  form. 


2  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 

means  permitted,  aiul  at  the  age  of  ten,  the  bright, 
precocious  boy  was  sent  to  the  University  of  Pavia. 
where  he  studied  Latin,  and  laid  the  foundations  of 
that  knowledge  of  geograpliy,  mathematics,  and  the 
natural  sciences  which  proved  so  valuable  in  after 
life.  But  his  collegiate  career  was  brief,  for  he  was 
soon  obliged  to  return  home  and  assist  his  father. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen,  liowever,  Columbus  began 
"  life  on  the  ocean  wave"  under  the  command  of  a 
relative  irnd  namesake — a  veteran  admiral  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  republic  of  Genoa.  The  long  period 
passed  in  this  rugged  school  gave  him  that  skill  and 
experience  which  make  the  hardy,  accomplishe  I 
navigator.  Nor  were  spirit-stirring  scenes  wanting 
to  develop  his  natural  bravery,  and  to  aid  in  expand- 
ing his  master-mind. 

He  had  spent  many  a  year  "before  the  mast," 
when  an  event  occurred  that  gave  his  life  a  new  di 
rcction.  During  a  fierce  naval  encounter  off  Cape 
St.  Vincent,  the  ship  commanded  by  Columbus  took 
fire,  and  was  soon  enveloped  in  flames.  The  sea 
alone  offered  a  place  of  safety,  and  the  future  dis- 
coverer 6f  America,  seizing  ati  oar,  boldly  struck  for 
land,  some  six  miles  distant.  He  reached  the  shore, 
after  a  desperate  struggle,  and  piously  thanked 
Heaven  for  his  fortunate  escape.  God  reserved  him 
for  greater  things. 

Finding  himself  thus  cast  penniless  on  the  strange 
coast  of  Portugal,  he  directed  his  steps  to  Lisbon, 


ChristopJur  Columbus. 


where  he  was  so  happy  as  to  find  his  brother  Bar- 
tholomew This  was  about  llic)ear  1470.  The  capital 
of  Portu(^al  was  then  the  centre  of  uU  that  was  emi- 
nent in  commerce  and  naviij^ation.  Columbus  found 
a  home  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  liis  enterprising 
brother,  and  supported  himself  by  drawing  maps 
and  charts.  Nor  did  he  ever  forget  his  aged  parents, 
to  whom,  from  time  to  time,  he  remitted  sums  of 
money.  Filial  love  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
traits  in  his  reliLjious  and  macfnificent  character. 

While  at  Lisbon,  a  romantic  attachment,  that 
ended  in  marriage,  took  place  between  Columbus 
and  a  noble  young  lady,  Dofia  Felippa  de  Perestrello. 
Neither  was  wealthy.  .  Miss  de  Perestrello's  riches 
were  her  virtue,  beauty,  and  accomplishments.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  an  eminent  navigator  who  died 
Governor  of  Porto  Santo,  but  who,  by  an  unhappy 
reverse  of  fortune,  was  compelled  to  leave  his  family 
with  little  but  the  memory  of  an  honored  name. 

This  alliance  of  Columbus  with  a  family  of  high 
standing,  however,  proved  serviceable  to  him  in 
more  ways  than  one.  It  introduced  him  to  the 
greatest  men  of  the  court,  and  the  most  noted 
scholars  of  the  country.  Besides,  his  ardent  spirit 
of  discovery  received  a  fresh  impulse  in  the  notes 
and  journals  of  his  deceased  father-in-law.  He  en- 
gaged in  many  voyages,  carefully  noting  everything 
new  or  valuable.  His  studies,  his  researches,  his 
experiments,    all  tended    towards    one   object — the 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


grand  project  of  penetrating  the  great  ocean  which 
stretched  away  towards  the  west. 

By  degrees  he  became  convinced  of  the  true  shape 
of  the  earth ;  and  his  piercing  intellect  grasped  the 
great  problem  of  reaching  other  continents  by  a 
direct  course  across  the  Atlantic,  on  whose  wide 
expanse  no  mariner  dared  to  venture.  Its  vast 
and  deep  waters  were  regarded  with  mysterious  awe, 
seeming  to  bound  the  world  as  with  a  chaos,  into 
which  conjecture  could  not  penetrate,  and  enter- 
prise feared  to  meet  ruin  or  misfortune. 

Columbus  was  poor  in  the  goods  of  this  world. 
To  aid  him  in  carrying  out  such  a  vast  and  brilliant 
design,  the  assi  stance  of  a  rich  patron  was  essential. 
But  alas,  for  manly  worth  and  genius,  long  years 
were  spent  in  fruitless  efforts  to  obtain  even  a  hear- 
ing. Nothing,  however,  could  daunt  the  fearless 
energy  of  this  incomparable  man.  He  was  a  firm 
believer  in  the  divinity  of  his  mission.  He  was  con- 
vinced that  the  time  had  arrived  to  accomplish  it. 
For 

"  There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men. 

Which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune." 

The  long  and  painful  preparatory  efforts  of  Columbus 
to  interest  Europe  in  his  enterprise  would,  at  this 
day,  seem  almost  incredible.  He  besought  Genoa 
and  Venice  for  a  ship  or  two  to  find  his  world,  and 
they  refused  him.  The  Portuguese  tried  to  steal 
his  plan,  and  carry  it  out  themselves ;  but  Provi 


.01, 


% 


'fa. 


Christopher  Columbus, 


5 


lich 

I  ape 

the 
)y  a 
wide 
vast 
awe, 

into 
nter- 

orld. 
lliant 
mtial. 
years 
hear- 
arless 
firm 
Lscon- 
ish  it. 


iambus 
It  this 
Genoa 
d,  and 
steal 
Provi 


dcnce   would   not  permit  America  to  be  discovered 
by  thieves. 

He  remained  for  years  about  the  court  of  Spain 
appealing  to  the  wisdom  of  the  wise,  the  judgment 
of  the  learned,  the  ambition  of  the  brave,  and  the 
avarice  of  the  acquisitive;  but  he  argued,  appealed, 
petitioned  in  vain!  No  one  believed  in  his  theory, 
or  hoped  in  his  adventure.  The  wise  smiled  scorn- 
fully, the  learned  laughed  in  their  academic  sleeves, 
and  even  the  brave  had  no  ambition  for  battling  the 
tempest,  or  for  planting  their  banners  in  the  wide 
sea-field,  or  on  the  shores  of  unknown  continents. 
Nearly  all  looked  upon  him  as  a  "dreamer  of  day- 
dreams wild"  ;  and  regarded  him  in  the  same  light 
as  we  should  a  person  of  the  present  day  who  would 
launch  forth  in  an  air-ship  on  a  voyage  of  discovery 
to  the  moon  ! 

Columbus,  however,  was  no  faint-hearted  enthusi- 
ast. His  soul  was  too  lofty  and  Christian  to  be  cast 
down  by  the  malice  of  fortune.  Heaven  strength- 
ened him,  and  his  pure  and  elevated  motives  enabled 
him  to  bear  up  bravely  against  delay,  poverty,  and 
contempt.  What  does  history  tell  us  of  this  inspired 
mariner's  motives? 

I.  Columbus  solemnly  desired  to  open  the  way 
to  pagan  lands  ;  to  be  the  means  of  carrying  the  sav- 
ing truths  of  the  Catholic  Religion  to  the  heathen 
who  sat  in  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death.  2.  He 
conceived  the  grand  idea  of  raising  sufficient   sums 


6  Tlu  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 

of  money,  from  his  discoveries,  to  defray  the  ex- 
penses of  equippinj^  a  large  army  for  the  rescue  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  from  the  grasp  of  the  inlkleland 
barbarous  Turks.  The  discoverer  of  America  was,  in 
deed,  a  true  Catholic  son  of  the  old  Crusaders,  pious 
and  enthusiastic  as  Peter  the  Hermit,  patient  and 
fearless  as  Godfrey  de  Bouillon,  dauntless  as  the 
Cceur  de  Lion,  and  a  partaker  in  the  holy  wisdom 
of  Saint  Louis  and  Saint  Bernard. 

The  story  of  his  voyage  has  been  often  told.  But 
it  can  never  become  threadbare — can  never  cease  to 
be  interesting  to  all  who  love  the  true,  the  sublime, 
and  the  beautiful.  Columbus  had  reached  the  age 
of  fifty-seven,  and  his  prospects  of  securing  a  patron 
to  aid  him  were  as  distant  as  ever.  He  was  about  to 
quit  Spain,  a  sad  and  disappointed  man.  On  his  way 
he  called  at  the  convent  of  La  Rabida,  where  he 
had  left  his  little  son,  and  over  which  ruled  his  ac- 
quaintance, the  good  Franciscan,  Father  John  Perez. 
When  the  cultured,  kind-hearted  monk  beheld  Co- 
lumbus once  more  at  the  gate  of  his  convent,  humble 
in  garb  and  depressed  in  spirit,  he  was  greatly  moved. 

Father  Perez  had  once  been  confessor  to  Queen 
Isabella,  and  he  bethought  himself  as  to  what  he 
could  do.  He  borrowed  a  mule,  and  rode  off  in  the 
direction  of  Santa  F6.  He  obtained  an  interview 
with  the  royal  lady.  A  gentleman  named  Santangel, 
likewise,  pleaded  in  behalf  of  the  mission  of  Colum- 
bus.    And  Isabella  the  Catholic,  noble  and  unselfish 


Christoplier  Columbus.  7 

woman  that  slie  was,  took  the  matter  to  heart,  and  ex- 
clainicd:  "I  undertake  it  for  my  own  crown  of  Castile, 
and  I  will  pledge  my  jewels  to  raise  tlic  necessary 
hinds.  ' 

Thus  on  the  very  first  page  of  American  history 
three  Catholic  figures  stand  out  in  bold  relief — a 
mariner,  a  monk,  and  a  noble  lady,  ihe  Now  World 
is  their  monument. 

Even  after  the  terms  of  agreement'  were  drawn  up 
and  signed  by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  it  required 
no  small  trouble  and  delay  to  complete  the  prepara- 
tions. At  length,  all  was  in  readiness,  and  the  day 
dawned  on  which  Columbus  was  to  sail  on  his  im- 
mortal voyage  across  the  unknown  and  mysterious 
deep.     It  was  Friday,'  August  3d,  A.  D.  1492. 

"The  morning  is  breaking  on  Palos  hay, 
On  its  town  and  wharf,  and  ramparts  gray, 
On  three  barks  at  their  moorings  that  gallantly  ride, 
With  the  towers  of  Castile  on  their  flags  of  pride. 
But  where  are  their  crews,  our  lost  kinsman  who  shall 
Embark  before  noon  in  each  doomed  caravel  ? 
There's  wringing  of  hands,  and  wailing  and  woe. 
As  the  gathering  crowds  to  the  churches  go." 

What  sacred  emotions  stirred  the  brave  heart  of  Co- 
lumbus  on  that  early  morning  !  How  ardently  he  must 
have  implored  high   Heaven  for  success  !     In   those 


'  ("olumbus  was  declared  Admiral  of  the  Seas  and  Viceroy  of  all  the  countries 
he  slioukl  discover,  and  was  to  receive  a  tcntii  nart  of  the  profits. 

'  P'riday  was  always  a  fortunate  day  for  Col  jmbus.  On  F"riday  he  sailed  from 
Palos,  on  Friday  he  discovered  America,  and  on  Friday  he  reSntered  Palos  in 
triumph.    It  is  the  blessed  day  of  the  Redemption. 


« 


Tlu  CatJiolu  Pioneers  of  Auterica. 


distant  days  of  faith,  no  great  enterprise  \\  as  under- 
taken without  invoking  the  aid  of  rehgion  and  the 
solemn  blessing  of  the  Church.  On  the  day  before 
departure,  Columbus  marched  in  procession  at  the 
head  of  his  crews — numbering  one  hundred  and 
twenty  men — to  the  monastery  of  La  Rabida.  Eacli 
confessed  his  sins,  obtained  absolution,  lieard  Mass. 
and  received  the  Holy  Communion — the  true  bread 
of  saints  and  heroes. 

On  August  3d,  before  the  last  stars  had  ceased  to 
glitter  in  the  morning  sky,  Columbus  had  heard  Mass 
and  received  Holy  Communion,  in  the  chape!  of  the 
monastery,  from  the  hands  of  his  friend,  Father  Perez. 
After  bidding  adieu  to  the  kind  Franciscans,  he 
stepped  on  board  his  vessel,  and  was  received  with  all 
the  honors  due  to  an  Admiral  of  Castile.  The  sig- 
nal to  sail  was  given  half  an  hour  before  sunrise,  and 
a  fair  wind  bore  the  little  fleet  out  to  sea,  under  the 
protection  of  the  most  Holy  Virgin. 
•  Although  Columbus  had  the  title  of  High  Admiral, 
his  squadron  consisted  of  only  three  small  vessels, 
named  the  Santa  Maria,  the  Pint  a,  and  the  Nina. 
The  Santa  Maria^  wdis  his  flag-ship.  The  Pinta  was 
commanded  bv  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  and  the  Nina 
by  Vincent  Yailez  Pinzon.  As  they  sailed  along, 
each    evening    heard    the   prayer    of   the    Catholic 


•  Santa  Maria  signifies  Holy  Mary.  It  was  Columbus  himself  who  gave  th# 
vessel  this  name--her  name  before  he  took  charge  of  her  having  been  Gallega— 
and  he  had  her  bles6ed,and  placed  under  the  special  protection  of  the  Immaculate 
Virgin.    This  is  worthy  of  note  in  connection  with  the  discovery  of  America. 


Christopher  Columbus.  9 

mariners  to  God.  and  their  pious  liymns  of  praise 
to  tlie  most  Blessed  Virj^in.  The  grand  old  Latin 
verses  of  the  Salve  Regina  and  tlic  Ave  Maris  Stclui 
were  the  fust  sounds  that  ever  broke  the  silence  of 
ages  on  that  trackless  waste  of  waters.  And  how  ap 
propriate  are  the  beautiful  words  of  the  Ave  Mans 
Stella  : 

'•  Bright  Mother  of  our  Maker,  hail  ! 
Thou  Virgin  evcr-biessccl, 
The  Ocean's  Star  by  which  we  sail. 
And  gain  the  port  of  rest." 

When  week  after  week  had  vainly  glided  by,  and 
the  compass  itself  began  to  vary,  despair  took  the 
place  of  hope  in  the  breast  of  each  ignorant,  terror- 
stricken  sailor;  but  there  was  still  one  guiding  master- 
mind, "  constaiit  as  the  northern  star.''  The  great 
soul  of  Columbus,  aided  by  Heaven,  awed  despair  and 
mutiny  into  submission.  At  length,  the  New  World 
burst  on  their  view. 

It  was  Friday,  the  12th  of  October,  1492.  At  the 
dawn  of  day  there  was  seen  issuing  from  the  mists, 
a  flowery  land,  whose  groves,  colored  by  the  first 
golden  rays  of  the  morning  sun,  .exhaled  an  unknown 
fragrance.  The  scenery  was  smiling  and  beautiful. 
Before  the  ships  lay  an  island  of  considerable  extent, 
level,  and  without  any  appearance  of  mountains. 
Groups  of  half-naked  people  cautiously  stole  down  to 
the  shore,  and  gazed  in  mingled  fear  and  amazement 
at  the  little  squadron  as  it  rode  at  anchor 


10 


Thi  CatJiolic  Piojieers  of  America. 


The  Admiral  entered  his  cutter,  richly  attired  in 
scarlet,  and  bearing  ihc  royal  standard.  His  two 
chief  officers,  the  Pinzons,  likewise  stepped  into  their 
boats,  each  bearing  the  banner  of  the  enterprise,  em- 
blazoned with  a  green  cross.  "On  landing,  Colum- 
bus threw  himself  on  his  knees,"  says  Irving,  "kissed 
the  eartii,  and  returned  thanks  to  God  with  tears  of 
)oy.  Me  arosC;  drew  his  sword,  and  declared  that 
he  took  possession  of  that  land  in  the  name  of  Christ 
for  the  Crown  of  Castile. 

He  then  ordered  the  carpenters  to  construct  a 
large  wooden  cross.  A  hole  was  made  in  the  earth, 
the  end  of  the  erected  standard  of  redemi)tion  was 
placed  in  it,  and  held  in  position  by  the  Admiral  him- 
self, while  the  hymn  Vcxilla  Regis  was  joyfully 
chanted  by  the  whole  part}". 

"  Forth  comes  the  standard  of  the  King — 
All  hail,  thou  mystery  adored  ! 
Ricssed  Cross  on  which  He  died  Himself, 
And  Ijy  death  our  life  restored." 

When  the  sacred  symbol  was  firmly  fixed  in  the  soil, 
the  7"^' /Av/;// W3  3  sung,  and  the  solemn  music  was 
wafted  over  wave  and  forest.  Columbus  called  the 
island  San  Salvador.^  And  such  was  the  first  land- 
ing of  the  prince  of  Catholic  Pioneers  in  the  New 
World,  almost  four  centuries  ago. 
•    Columbus  now  steered  in  a  southerly  direction, 

^    1  San  Salvador  signifies  Holy  Saviour.     It  is  one  of  the  Bahama  Islands. 


Ifit 


Christopher  Columbus. 


1 1 


ion, 


and  discovered  Cuba,  where  the  Spaniards  first  saw 
potatoes  and  tobacco.  Continuing  his  explorations, 
he  reached  Hayti,  vvhicli  he  named  Ilispaniola.  and 
on  the  coast  of  which  the  Santa  Maria  grounded  on 
a  sand  banl<,  and  was  soon  a  total  wreck.  Tiie  Ad- 
miral built  a  fort  at  this  point,  and  leaving  it  in 
trust  of  a  small  body  of  mariners,  he  boarded  the 
Nimiy  and  sailed  for  Spain  in  January,  1492. 

But  scarcely  was  the  prow  of  his  little  bark 
turned  on  its  homeward  voyage,  when  a  fearful 
tempest  threatened  to  engulf  the  discoverer  of 
America.  His  skill  was  tasked  to  the  utmost;  nor 
did  he  fail  to  look  up  to  Heaven  for  assistance.  In 
those  dark  hours  of  distress,  he  implored  the  pro- 
tection of  our  Blessed  Mother,  and  vowed  a  pilgrim- 
age to  her  nearest  shrine  the  first  land  he  touched — 
a  vow  punctually  fulfilled. 

When  the  great  Admiral  once  more  touched  the 
shores  of  sunny  Spain,  his  first  act  was  a  solemn 
procession  to  the  Monastery  of  La  Rabid  a.  The 
faithful  Father  Perez  said  a  Mass  of  tllanhsfrivin'^ 
and  the  Tc  Deum  was  chanted.  In  his  letter  to  the 
Spanish  sovereigns,  signifying  his  arrival,  there  is  no 
tinge  of  egotism,  no  talk  about  his  achievements. 
He  simply  asks  Spain  to  exhibit  a  holy  joy,  "  for 
Christ  rejoices  on  earth  as  in  Heaven,  seeing  the 
future  redemption  of  souls." 

The  Court  was  at  ilircelona.  and  the  progress  of 
Columbus  towards  i.uu  city  was  like  the  march  (>\ 


12 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  tnerica. 


some  victorious  monarch.     Ferdinand  and  Isabella 
received  him  with  royal  magnificence. 

■'  A  thousand  Uumpets  ring  within  old  Barcelona's  walls, 
A  thousand  gallant  nobles  throng  in  Barcelona's  halls. 
All  meet  to  gaze  on  him  who  wiought  a  pathway  for  mankind, 
Through  seas  as  broad,  to  worlds  as  rich,  as  his  triumphant  mind  ; 
And  King  and  Queen  will  grace  forsooth  the  mariner's  array 
'1  lie  lonely  seaman,  scoffed  and  scorned  in  Palos  town  one  day' 
He  comes,  he  comes  '     The  gates  swing  wide,  and  through  the  streets 

advance 
His  cavalcade  in  proud  parade,  with  plume  and  pennoned  lance, 
And  natives  of  those  new-found  worlds,  and  treasures  all  untold— 
And  in  the  midst  rilK  ADMIR.i.L,  his  charger  trapped  with  gold, 
And  all  are  wild  with  joy,  and  blithe  the  gladsome  clarions  swell, 
And  dames  and  princes  press  to  greet,  and  loud  the  myriads  yell. 
They  cheer,  that  mob,  they  wildly  cheer — Columbus  checks  his  rem, 
And  bends  him  to  the  beauteous  dames  and  cavaliers  of  Spain.  " 

The  discoverer  of  America  was  now  honored  by- 
princes,  and  his  praise  was  sounded  by  those  who 
had  mocked  him  in  other  days.  It  was  a  moment 
of  prosperity — a  gleam  of  sunshine  before  the  gath- 
ering clouds  that  announce  the  storm.  Up  to  this 
time,  his  enemies  had  done  nothing  worse  than  to 
waste  his  time  and  health  and  strength,  and  delay  his 
work.  It  was  now  to  be  their  base  part  to  ruin  liis 
benevolent  schemes,  to  bring  his  gray  hairs  in  sorrow 
to  the  grave,  and  to  heap  reproaches  on  his  memory. 

After  a  short  repose,  Columbus  pushed  the  prepa- 
rations for  a  second  voyage.  He  had  in  view  the 
conversion  of  the  Indians  to  the  Catholic  Faith  and 
vast  schemes  of  colonization.    Among  the  noted  per- 


Chrt  stop  her  Columbus. 


H 


by 
ho 
ent 
th- 
his 
to 
his 
his 
ow 
ory. 


sons  who  accompanied  him  were  Alonzo  de  Ojcda, 
John  de  la  Cosa,  John  Ponce  de  Leon,  his  old  friend 
I'ather  John  Perez,  O.S.F.,'  and  the  Vicar  Apostolic, 
heather  Bernard  Boil,  O.S.B.  There  were  twelve  mis- 
sionary  priests.  The  expedition,  which  consisted  of 
seventeen  ships  and  about  fifteen  hundred  persons, 
reached  Hispaniola*  late  in  the  fall  of   1493. 

The  foundation  of  the  ill-starred  city  of  Isabella 
was  laid,  and  the  work  of  settlement  commenced. 
But  from  that  to  the  day  of  his  death,  the  life  of 
the  illustrious  Admiral  was  one  ceaseless  conflict 
with  calumny,  avarice,  villainy,  and  misfortune.  He 
was  soon  surrounded  by  a  host  of  bitter  enemies. 
I  cannot,  however,  enter  into  details.  There  is  no 
space   and  the  story  is  too  sad. 

In  a  few  years,  Columbus  found  it  necessary  to 
leave  his  brother  Don  Bartholomew  in  command 
and  proceed  to  Spain  in  order  to  defend  himself 
against  the  slanderous  charges  made  by  his  foes  in 
the  New  World.  He  succeeded.  He  then  organ- 
ized  an  expedition  for  his  third  voyage,  in  which  » 
he  discovered  the  mainland  of  South  America. 
August  1st,  1498.  The  part  first  seen  was  the 
delta  of  the  Orinoco. 

But  misfortune  kept  pace  with  his  discoveries.  In 
a  short  time  the  malice  of  his  enemies  succeeded  in 


•  li  is  also  -tilted  that  Tather  Perez  "  was  the  first  priest  who  landed  in  the 
New  W(  I  ill,  iiiid  the  tirst  who  said  Mass  there." 

*  Mow  tailed  Hayti 


V 


14 


The  Ciitkolic  Pioneers  of  America. 


having  him  sent  iiome  in  chains.  And  thus  shame- 
fully shackled  in  irons  were  "hands  that  the  rod  of 
empire  might  have  awayed." 

"  I  shall  preserve  these  chains,  '  said  the  great 
discoverer,  "as  memorials  of  the  reward  of  my 
services !" 

'*  He  did  so,"  writes  his  son  Ferdinand.  "  I  saw 
them  always  hanging  in  his  cabinet,  and  he  re- 
quested that  when  he  died,  they  might  be  buried 
with  him." 

The  sight  of  Columbus  in  chains  aroused  a  feeling 
of  indignation.  It  was  a  most  disgraceful  affair. 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  it  is  true,  expressed  great 
sorrow  ;  but  a  gross  injustice — never  to  be  repaired — 
was  done  the  venerable  prince  of  discoverers. 

After  another  period  of  repose,  he  set  out  on  his 
fourth  and  last  voyage  in  May,  1502.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  his  younger  son  Ferdinand,  his  noble 
brother  Don  Bartholomew,  and  his  faithful  friend 
James  Mendez.  Though  now  sixty-six  years  of  age 
and  in  broken  health,  the  great  old  Admiral  intended 
to  circumnavigate  the  globe.  Various  reasons  made 
him  hope  to  find  a  strait  at  the  Isthmus  of  Darien. 
He  would  pass  through  it,  and  sail  around  the 
world.  He  was  mistaken,  of  course;  but  the  guess 
ran  strangly  near  the  truth. 

.The  astonishing  resources  of  his  genius,  and  his 
}'atience  in  suffering,  were  never  more  heavily  taxed 
than  in  this  expedition.     He  discovered  the  north- 


Cliristophc*'  Coliiuibhs, 


15 


ern  coast  of  Ho!iduraS;  and  after  a  desperate  strugj^le 
with  wind  and  waves,  the  badly-damaged  ships 
rounded  a  cape,  and  at  once  found  fair  weather  and 
free  navigation.  Columbus,  full  of  gratitude  to 
Heaven,  named  the  cape  Gracios  a  Dios.  or  Thanks 
be  to  God' — a  name  retained  to  this  day. 

He  then  stood  towards  the  south,  and  coasted 
along  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  carefully  examining 
every  bay  and  inlet  in  search  of  his  supposed  strait 
between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  .  and  not  find- 
ing what  he  sought,  he  rl-Vected  the  prows  of  his 
now  sinking,  crazy,  and  worm-eaten  vessels  across 
the  Caribbean  Sea,  but  was  forced  to  run  them 
aground  on  the  shores  of  Jamaica.  While  there, 
mutiny  weakened  his  authority,  and  famine  stared 
him  in  the  face.'  It  was  only  by  predicting  an 
eclipse  that  he  compelled  the  savage  and  treacher 
ous  natives  to  supply  him  with  food,  thus  preserving 
himself  and  his  diminished  crews  from  death  b}' 
starvation.  After  countless  adventures,  and  weighed 
down  by  age  and  infirmities,  he  returned  to  Spain 
in  1504. 

The  death  of  the  generous  Isabella  destroyed  his 
last  hopes  of  being  reinstated  in  his  dignities.  Fer- 
dinand treated  him  with  shameful  ingratitude.  The 
mighty  Admiral  who  gave  Spain  a  hemisphere,  did 
not  own  a  roof  in  Spain,  and  closed  his  days  in  the 
shades  of  poverty  and  neglect.     In  a  letter  to  his 


r:i 


'  See  the  lives  of  Bartholomew  Columbus  and  James  Mundez. 


lO 


Tlu  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  Auicrica, 


son  James,  he  urges  him  to  extreme  economy.  **  I 
receive  nothing  of  the  revenue  due  to  me,"  he 
writes,  "  but  live  by  borrowing.  Little  have  1 
profited  by  twenty  years  of  toils  and  perils,  since 
at  present  I  do  not  own  a  roof  in  Spain.  I  have 
no  resort  but  an  inn,  and  during  most  of  the  time, 
I  have  not  money  to  pay  my  bill." 

But  to  the  last  his  moral  and  intellectual  great- 
ness stood  out  in  bold  relief,  clear  and  majestic. 
He  made  his  will,  turned  his  thoughts  to  Heaven, 
received  the  last  Sacraments  with  all  the  devotion 
of  his  magnificent  soul,  and  murmured  in  dying 
accents,  "  Into  thy  hands,  O  Lord!  I  commend  my 
spirit."  His  bed  was  surrounded  by  his  two  sons, 
James  and  Ferdinand,'  some  friends,  and  a  few 
Franciscan  Fathers.  And  thus  died  Christopher 
Columbus,  the  discoverer  of  America,  on  Ascension 
Day,  the  30th  of  May,  1506.  He  was  about  seventy- 
one  years  of  age. 

In  person,  Columbus  was  tall,  well  formed,  and 
commanding.  His  face  was  a  pure  oval,  upon 
which  nature  had  stamped  a  look  of  unusual  grace, 
gravity,  strength,  and  beauty.  The  noble  expanse 
of  his  forehead  was  indicative  of  his  richly  gifted 
intellect.  His  bright  eyes  were  gray,  keen,  and 
strong;  while  his  nose  was  aquiline,  and  his  finely- 
'd    lips    expressed    the    magnanimity   of    his 

'  'iiv       uh',  lied  the  rights,  titles,  and  dignities  of  the  Admiral,  and   Fer- 
il  nr:.         ■         is  life. 


Christopher  Columbus. 


17 


id 


er- 


heart.  A  dimpled  chin,  a  few  freckles,  a  ruddy 
complexion,  and  hair  white  as  snow  since  his  thir- 
tieth year — such  is  the  rough  pen-picture  of  that 
wonderful  man  left  us  by  his  contemporaries. 
His  presence  enforced  respect,  and  everything 
about  him  suggested  an  air  of  modest  distinction. 
Such  was  his  natural  dignity,  that,  though  a  poor 
wool-carder's  son,  he  appeared  before  kings  and 
grandees  with  as  much  ease  and  grace  as  if  he  had 
been  born  in  a  palace. 

To  the  day  of  his  death,  he  was  an  ardent 
student,  "  ever  trying  to  find  out  the  secrets  of 
nature."  His  mind  had  grasped  all  kinds  of 
knowledge.  He  was  equally  familiar  with  the 
ancient  geographers  and  the  Fathers  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  His  poetical  imagination  was  governed  in 
its  flights  by  a  strong  practical  judgment ;  and  his 
discovery  of  America  has  been  truly  called  "a  con- 
quest of  reflection." 

But  it  was  virtue,  above  all,  that  crowned  the 
manly  integrity  of  his  character.  God  and  religion 
held  the  first  place  in  his  mind.  "Throughout  his 
life,"  says  Irving,  "he  was  noted  for  a  strict  atten- 
tion to  the  offices  of  religion  ;  nor  did  his  piety 
consist  in  mere  forms,  but  partook  of  that  lofty  and 
solemn  enthusiasm  with  which  his  whoie  character 
was  strongly  tinctured." 

A  Catholic  of  Catholics,  if  this  prince  of  pioneers 
desired   to  open  the  way  to   unknown   continents, 


i8 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


and    to    raise    large    sums    of     money,    it    was    not 
througli  any  motive  of  grasping  sclfishnei^s.     Before 
St,     Ignatius     Loyola    adopted     the     maxim,    Ad 
majorem  Dii  ^/onam,  Columbus   put    it   in  practice. 
To  carry  the   light  of  the   Gospel  to  the  heathen, 
to  connect  the  ends  of  the  earth  for  the  glory  of 
Heaven,   to   rescue    the    Holy   Sepulchre    from    the 
hands    of   the    infidel  Turk — such  were    the    grand    ' 
motives  that  guided  his  life's  labors.     Though  a  lay- 
man, he   was    one   ot   the  greatest   of   missionaries. 
His  discoveries  led  to  the  salvation  of  millions  of 
souls,   and   this  messenger  of  the  Cross  rivals  the 
most  illustrious  of  the  saints  in  being  the  means  of 
unlocking  the  portals  of  Paradise  to  countless  multi- 
tudes. ■ 

Whom  shall  we  name  braver  than  this  inspired 
mariner — the  immortal  discoverer  of  America?  His 
victories  stand  alone  in  history.  "  He  was  the  con- 
queror," writes  Helps,  "  not  of  man,  but  of  nature  . 
not  of  flesh  and  blood  but  of  the  fearful  unknown — 
of  the  elements."  By  the  unaided  force  of  his 
genius,  his  dauntless  spirit,  and  the  blessing  ol 
Heaven,  he  rose  superior  to  every  danger  and  every 
tlifftculty.  With  him  originated  the  brilliant  idea 
that  the  Atlantic  could  be  made  a  pathway  across  the 
world  ;  and  in  spite  of  years  of  bitter  opposition, 
and  the  most  heartless  persecution,  he  succeeded  in 
impressing  the  truth  of  his  conviction  upon  others. 
His  hair  was  white  at  thirty,  from  deep  reflection 


Christopher  Columbus. 


19 


(»n  the  subject  of  discovery;  aiul  li  ■ -as  fifty-seven, 
when,  triunii)liin^  over  man  and  tempest,  lie  phmted 
the  cross  on  the  wild  shores  of  San  Si^vador.  Hut 
never  for  a  moment  was  he  deserted  by  sublime 
courajTc.  He  was  ever  a  man  without  fear  and 
without  reproach;  and  his  noble  forbearance  in  the 
wrongs,  insults,  and  countless  injuries  heaped  on 
his  declining  years,  reveals  a  soul,  to  the  last,  heroic 
and  beautiful  in  its  magnanimity. 

How  shall  we  define  true  greatness?  By  what 
standard  shall  we  judge  men  so  as  to  be  .ible,  with 
some  justice  and  precision,  to  point  out  the  greatest. 
It  may  be  safely  laid  down,  that  he  is  the  ^i^rcatest 
man  to  wJiom  the  world  is  most  imiebted.  Measured 
by  his  unparalleled  achievements  and  their  vast 
results,  Christopher  Columbus,  I  venture  to  assert, 
stands  first  on  the  roll  of  the  truly  great,  heading 
the  list  of  the  most  illustrious  men  of  all  time. 
There  is  nothing  in  history  to  compare  with  his 
work  in  splendor  and  permanence.  lie  imitated 
nobody,  and  nobody  could  repeat  his  actions.  To 
him  science,  commerce,  and  religion  owe  more 
than  to  any  other  man.  He  introduced  Europe 
to  America.  He  found  the  lost  hemisphere,  and 
dispelled  the  darkness  that  ignorance  had  thrown 
around  the  globe  for  thousands  of  years.  Though 
unjustly  named  after  another,  the  New  World 
reveres  him  as  its  father  and  discoverer.  The 
Catholic    Church    recognizes    in    him    one    of    her 


20 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


^neatest  arui  most  worthy  children.  In  short,  the 
wliole  earth  and  all  mankind  are  his  debtors.  His 
noble  chara(iter  transcends  praise,  as  his  heroic 
deeds  baffle  description  ;  and  as  there  is  but  >ne 
America  on  the  map  of  the  world,  so  there  is  but 
one  Columbus  among  the  sons  of  men.' 

I  number  myself  with  those,  who,  having  care- 
fully studied  the  life  and  labors  of  Christopher 
Columbus,  ardently  hope  to  see  the  cause  of  his 
canonization  soon  brought  forward  in  due  form. 
Years  ago,  in  referring  to  this  subject,  Pope  Pius  IX., 
of  glorious  memory,  said,  '*  There  is  no  harm  in 
trying." 


JOHN  DE  LA  COSA, 


^A'.T  OF  THE  BRAVE  COMPANIONS  OF  COLU^fBUS. 


Died  A .  D.  1509. 

AMONG  the  earliest  of  the  famous  companions  of 
Columbus  that  perished  on  the  shores  of  the 
New  World,  was  the  hardy,  kind-hearted  veteran, 
John  de  la  Cosa.     He  was  a  native  of  Biscay,  in   the 


•  I 'or  a  fuller  account  of  Columbus,  see  my  Lh'es  of  the  Cathotic  Hero-.-s  and 
Ili'roimx  of  A  mcrica;  and  The  Life  0/  Christopher  Coluvtbus^  by  Father  A.  G. 
Knight,  S.J. 


JoJiu  Df  La  Cosa. 


?I 


north  of  Spain,  and  first  rose  to  notice  as  ,i  disciplt..  cf 
tile  great  Adinir.ii,  witli  whom  lie  sailed  in  his  first 
and  second  voyages.  At  that  time,  I)e  ia  C'o>a  was 
regarded  as  an  oracle  of  the  seas,  and  an  accom- 
plished master  in  all  nautical  affairs. 

When  the  bold  Ojeda  undertook  a  voyage  of  ex- 
ploiMtion,  in  1499,  De  la  Cosa  sailed  as  his  chief 
l)ilot  <ind  associate.  The  two  pioneers  iliscovered  and 
explored  the  Gulf  of  Venezuela,  and  then  turned 
the  prows  of  their  ships  homeward,  with  little  re- 
ward but  the  barren  discovery. 

We  lose  sight  of  John  de  la  Cosa  for  some  years. 
He  next  turns  up  at  the  city  of  San  Domingo  in  the 
island  of  Hispaniola.'  Ojeda  was  there  too,  his 
ever-active  imagination  suggesting  great  enterprises 
which  ill  harmonized  with  a  pair  of  empty  pockets. 
Among  other  things  he  wished  to  found  a  colony  ; 
hut  he  had  no  money.  De  la  Cosa  came  to  his  aid, 
generously  opened  his  modest  purse,  and  entered 
heartily  into  the  enterprise.  The  old  pilot,  at  Ojeda's 
request,  went  to  Spain,  and  so  successful)'  pleaded 
his  cause  with  the  royal  authorities  that  an  arma- 
ment of  three  vessels  and  two  hundred  men  was 
soon  on  the  highway  to  America.  Ojeda  was  granted 
the  rank  of  governor  over  the  wild,  unknown  teri- 
tories  which  he  was  to  colonize,  and  De  la  Cosa  was 
appointed  his  lieutenant  in  the  government.  When 
the  ships  arrived  in  the    harbor  of  San  Domingo, 

>  Now  called  Hayti. 


22  Till-  Cat /will  Pioneers  of  Atncrica. 

()JL(l.i  welcomed  his  lieutenant  with  the  warmest 
affection.  A  deep  attaclinicnt  and  mutual  admira- 
tion existed  between  the  adventurous  young  Gover- 
nor and  the  gray-headed  veteran  of  tlie  seas. 

LaLe  in  the  fall  of  1 509,  four  vessels  might  be 
^een  entering  the  lonely  harbor  of  Carthagena,  on 
the  northern  coast  of  South  America.  It  was 
Ojcda's  colonizing  armament.  De  la  Cosa  knew 
the  place  well,  and  warned  the  Governor  to  be  on 
his  guard  in  treating  with  the  savage  natives — a 
fierce  race  that  fought  like  tigers,  and  threw  poi- 
soned arows  which  rarely  failed  to  make  a  fatal 
wound. 

Ojcda  landed  with  a  part  of  his  force,  including  a 
number  of  priests,  whose  mission  was  to  convert  the 
Indians.  Crowds  of  wild  men  flocked  to  see  the 
strangers.  The  Governor  endeavored  to  gain  their 
friendship,  but  they  raised  a  war-cry  and  brandished 
their  weapons.  In  spite  of  the  wise  remonstrances 
of  the  more  experienced  De  la  Cosa,  Ojeda  at  once 
ordered  an  attack,  and  dashed  at  the  naked  foe. 
Tiiey  were  quickly  routed.  Nor  cid  the  conflict 
stop  here.  The  Governor,  whose  fighting  spirit  was 
aroused,  pursued  the  flying  enemy  ten  or  twelve 
miles  into  the  interior. 

Though  De  la  Cosa  was  far  from  approving  such 
a  foolhardy  expedition,  he  kept  near  the  person  of 
Ojcda  like  a  guarding  spirit.  The  Spaniards 
scoured  the  forests,  shouting  "  San  Jago,"  and  de* 


JoJin   De  I  AX  Cosa. 


^3 


feated  large  bodies  of  Indians.  At  length,  after 
hours  of  rash  pursuit  and  >iieedy  victory,  they 
found  themselves  in  the  evening  at  a  village,  whose 
frightened  inhabitants  had  fled  to  the  mountains. 
While  the  Spaniards  were  carelessly  roaming  from 
house  to  house  in  scattered  bands,  a  troop  of  well- 
armed  savages  rushed  from  the  surrounding  woods. 
The  distant  hills  echoed  their  }ells,  as  the  awful 
work  of  carnage  commenced. 

On  the  first  alarm  Ojeda  collected  some  of  his 
men,  and  quickly  tiirew  himself  into  an  enclosure 
which  was  surrounded  by  a  rude  fence.  Here  he 
fought  with  desperate  bravery,  his  companions  one 
by  one  sinking  dead  at  his  side.  The  faithful  De  la 
Cosa  soon  heard  of  the  peril  of  his  commander,  and 
hastily  gathering  around  him  a  few  soldiers,  he  ran 
to  his  assistance. 

"  Stationing  himself  at  the  gate  of  the  palisades," 
says  Irving,  "  the  brave  Hiscayan  kept  the  savages 
at  bay  until  most  of  his  men  were  slain,  and  he  him- 
self was  severely  wounded.  Just  then  Ojeda  sprang 
forth  like  a  tiger  into  the  midst  of  the  cncnu'. 
dealing  his  blows  on  every  side.  De  la  Cosa  would 
have  seconded  him,  but  was  crippled  by  his  wounds, 
lie  took  refucje  with  the  remnant  of  his  men 
in  an  Indian  cabin,  the  straw  roof  of  which  he 
aided  to  throw  off,  lest  the  enemy  should  set  it  on 
fire. 

"  Here  he  defended  liimself  until  all  his  comrades 


24 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


but  one  were  destroyed.  The  subtle  poison'  of  his 
wounds  at  length  overpowered  him,  and  he  sank  to 
the  ground.  Feeling  death  at  hand,  he  called  to  his 
only  surviving  companion  :  '  Brother,'  said  he, '  since 
God  has  protected  you  from  harm,  sally  forth  and 
fly,  and  if  ever  you  should  see  Alonzo  de  Ojeda,  tell 
him  of  my  fate.""  The  Spaniard  who  lived  to 
recount  this  touching  story  was  the  only  one,  of  the 
seventy  followers  of  (3jeda  on  that  fatal  day,  who 
escaped  the  vengeance  of  the  savages. 

And  thus  fell  this  accomplished  navigator,  the 
noble  veteran,  John  de  la  Cosa,  devoted,  fearless, 
faithful,  and  unflinching  to  the  last  gasp.  Though 
the  grass  of  three  centuries  has  hidden  his  loneh' 
grave,  and  the  rust  of  time  has  dimmed  much  of 
the  shining  splendor  that  adorned  the  romantic 
age  of  discovery,  still  his  name  holds  an  honored 
place  among  the  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America.  A 
curious  planisphere  drawn  by  him  in  the  year  1500 
uas  discovered  during  the  present  century. 


'  Miller,  in  \\\^  K/,iii,-nts of  C/ieiiiistry.  states  that  the  woorara,  with  which  tlie 
Indians  i)t  Sowtli  AnuTiiu  poison  their  arrows,  is  a  variety  of  strythninc.  t  is 
so  ileailly  that  the  scratch  of  a  needle  dipped  in  it  will  produce  death. 


r 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


2% 


'^ 


ALONZO  DE  OJI^DA, 

DISCOVERER  OF  THE  GULF  OF  yENEZUKLA,  A.VD  U'ARR'OR 
PROTEGE  OF  THE  BLESSED  VIRGIN. 

Died  about  A.  D.  151 1. 

HALO  of  romance,  undimmed  by  time,  still 
surrounds  the  name  of  Alonzo  de  Ojeda.  His 
career  is  justly  renowned.  He  was  born  in 
S[)ain,  about  the  year  1465,  and  grew  up,  trained  to 
arms  and  hardy  exercise,  in  the  service  of  the  Duke 
of  Medina.  He  fought  \\i  the  Moorish  wars.  From 
the  first  his  life  was  marked  by  a  love  of  bold  adven- 
ture, and  the  old  Spanish  writers  take  pleasure  in 
recounting  his  reckless  exploits. 

Ojeda  sailed  with  Columbus  in  his  second  voyage, 
intending,  no  doubt,  to  advance  his  fortunes  in  the 
Xew  World.  At  that  time,  he  is  described  as  a 
dashing  young  cavalier,  handsome  in  person,  rather 
under  the  middle  height,  but  well-formed,  and  of 
great  strength  and  activity.  He  was  a  master  of  the 
arc  of  war,  an  admirable  horseman,  and  unmatched 
in  the  use  of  all  kinds  of  weapons.  "  l^old  of  heart," 
says  Irving,  ''  free  of  spirit,  open  of  hanil,  fierce  in 
fight,  quick  in  quarrel,  but  ever  ready  to  forget  and 


26 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


iorgive  an  injury,  he  was  destined,  for  a  long  cime, 
to  be  the  admiration  of  the  wild  and  roving  youth 
who  flocked  to  the  New  World." 

Before  his  departure  from  Spain,  Ojeda  had  beer 
introduced  to  Bishop  Foncesa,  and  the  prelate  made 
him  a  present  of  a  little  Flemish  painting  of  the 
most  Holy  Virgin.  In  all  his  wanderings,  the  de- 
vout young  soldier  carried  this  picture  about  him. 
and  it    rises  to  fame   in  the  story  of  his  adventures. 

Columbus  gave  the  command  of  all  perilous  en- 
terprises to  Ojeda — whether  it  was  the  charge  of 
hunting  up  the  nine  foolish  mariners  who  got  lost 
among  the  cannibals  of  Guadaloupe  ;  or  the  work  of 
exploring  the  unknown  interior  of  Hispaniola  ;  or 
the  still  weightier  responsibility  of  holding  an  ex- 
posed position  against  the  hostile  savages.  Nor 
could  the  work  have  been  placed  in  braver  hands, 
and  his  tact  was  such,  that  where  he  failed,  no  man 
might  hope  to  succeed. 

The  accomplished  cavalier  was  appointed  com- 
mander of  Fort  St.  Thomas,  and  his  skill  and  in- 
trepidity were  soon  sharply  tested.  This  advanced 
post  lay  within  the  dominions  of  Caonabo,  a  warlike 
Carib  chieftain,  who  ruled  in  the  mountains  of 
Cibao,  and  was  called  "  Lord  of  the  Golden  House." 
He  determined  to  take  it,  and  to  destroy  at  one 
blow  the  handful  of  Spaniards.  But  Ojeda  was  never 
unprepared.  Nor  did  he  fear  any  danger,  for  he  con- 
sidered himself  at  all  times  to  be  under  the  powerful 


Aionso  De  OJ/da. 


27 


protection  of  the  most  Holy  Virgin  ;  and  to  her  "es- 
pecial care,'  says  one  of  his  biographers,  "  he  at- 
tributed tlie  remarkable  circumstance  that  he  had 
never  been  wounded  in  any  of  the  innumerable 
brawls  and  battles  into  which  he  was  continually 
betrayed  by  his  rash  and  fiery  lemperament." 

One  day,  Caonabo  suddenly  surrounekd  Fort  St, 
Thomas  with  10,000  warriors.  He  hoped  to  sur- 
[)rise  the  little  garrison.  But  Ojeda  was  ready  for 
him,  and  the  naked  savages  tried  in  vain  to  force  an 
entrance.  The  wily  chief  next  attempted  to  reduce 
it  by  famine.  The  siege  lasted  for  thirty  d.iys,  and 
the  Spaniards  suffered  severely.  In  the  meantime, 
however,  Ojeda  displayed  the  greatest  activity  of 
mind  and  fertility  of  resource.  He  baffled  all  the 
arts  of  Caonabo,  concerting  stratagems  of  various 
kinds  to  relieve  the  garrison  and  annoy  the  foe.  He 
sallied  forth  whenever  the  enemy  appeared  in  any 
force,  leading  the  van  with  that  headlong  valor  for 
which  he  was  noted,  making  great  slaughter  u  iih 
his  single  arm,  and,  as  usual,  escaping  unhurt  amid 
showers  of  darts  and  arrows. 

Seeing  that  many  of  his  bravest  warriors  had 
fallen,  the  Indian  chief,  at  the  end  of  a  month,  gave 
up  all  further  attempts  on  the  fortress,  and  retired 
filled  with  admiration  at  the  skill  and  prowess  of  the 
hardy  soldier,  who  carried  a  picture  of  the  jilessed 
Virgin  in  his  knapsack,  and  who  with  (jnly  fifty 
men,   consumed    by  hunger  and    thirst,    had    bade 


28 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


defiance  to  an  arnny  of  hostile  savages.  But  in 
truth,  with  his  dear  Madonna  about  him,  and  his 
trusty  sword  by  his  side,  Ojeda  feared  neither  man 
nor  demon. 

Tiie  power  and  ferocity  of  Caonabo,  however, 
would  make  the  s&ttlement  of  Hispaniola  a  work  of 
I  lime  and  peril,  Columbus  was  extremely  perplexed. 
Ojeda  said  he  could  remove  such  an  obstacle  to 
Spanish  progress.  He  offered  to  capture  the  Carib 
ruler,  and  bring  him  alive  to  the  Admiral.  But  it 
seemed  the  rashest  of  rash  enterprises. 

Choosing  ten  tried  and  fearless  followers,  well 
armed  and  well  mounted,  and  invoking  the  protec- 
tion of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  whose  image  as  usual  he 
bore  with  him  as  a  safeguard,  Ojeda  plunged  into 
the  forest,  and  made  his  way  above  sixty  leagues 
into  the  wild  territories  of  Caonabo.  He  found  the 
dusky  chieftain  in  one  of  his  largest  towns,  and  met 
with  a  friendly  reception. 

Ihe  Spanish  commander  made  it  appear  that  he 
came  as  the  Admiral's  representative.  lie  urged 
Caonabo  to  proceed  to  the  town  of  Isabella  for  the 
puri)ose  of  making  a  treaty  with  Columbus,  and 
becoming  the  ally  and  friend  of  the  white  people. 
It  is  said  that  he  even  offered  him,  as  a  lure,  the 
bell  of  the  little  church  at  Isabella.  This  bell  was 
the  wonder  of  the  island.  When  the  Indians  heard 
it  ringing  for  Mass.  and  saw  the  Spaniards  haslenii  g 
towards  the  church,  they  imagined  that  it  talked, 


i 


i 


B| 


Alonzo  De  Ojetia. 


29 


and  that  the  white  men  obeyed  it.  But  while  the 
savages  regarded  the  bell  as  a  wonder  that  had 
dropped  from  the  skies,  their  aflmiration  indeed  for 
all  metallic  instruments  was  unbounded. 

Caonabo  accepted  Ojeda's  invitation,  and  began 
his  march  towards  the  Spanish  settlement  with  a 
strong  force  of  picked  warriors.  This  arrangement 
was  not  to  Ojeda's  taste;  but  he  at  once  devised  a 
daring  scheme,  and  hastened  to  put  it  into  execution. 
He  presented  a  highly  polished  pair  of  steel  mana- 
cles to  the  Carib  ruler,  and  invited  him  to  mount 
behind  him  on  his  horse.  The  invitation  was 
proudly  accepted.  The  pieces  of  glittering  steel 
were  then  carefully  fixed  on  his  tawny  hands  as 
ornaments.  The  unsuspecting  Indian  was  delighted 
as  Ojeda  rode  him  around  his  warriors,  who  kept  at 
a  respectable  distance. 

The  Spanish  commander  made  several  circuits  to 
gain  space,  followed  by  his  little  band  of  horsemen. 
At  length  he  made  a  wide  sweep  into  the  forest. 
Caonabo  was  quickly  bound  with  cords  to  Ojeda. 
and  with  drawn  swords  the  horsemen  dashed  at  full 
speed  towards  home.  They  took  unfrequented 
routes,  and  passed  through  the  Indian  towns  at  a 
gallop.  The  journey  was  accomplished  in  safety, 
and  Ojeda  appeared  before  Columbus  with  his  wild 
Indian  bound  behind. 

Shortly  after  this,  a  large    force  of   allied   Indians 
were  defeated,  and  all    parts  of  the  island   were  re- 


30 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Ainerica. 


duced  to  obedience.  But  there  was  no  service  too 
wild  and  liazarduus  for  Ojeda.  If  any  appearance  of 
war  arose  in  a  distant  part  of  the  country,  lie  would 
penetrate  with  his  little  squad  of  cavalry  throui^h 
the  depths  of  the  forests,  and  fall  like  a  thunderbolt 
upon  the  enem>,  scattering  their  forces  like  chaff, 
and  enforcing  iir.plicit  submission.  In  1496,  he 
sailed  for  Spain  in  company  wiih  Columbus;  but  we 
no  longer  find  him  in  th'^  service  of  the  discoverer 
of  the   New   World.  •••Tied  to  become  a  dis- 

coverer himself. 

Ojeda  suceeding  in  r«:tting  a  commission,  and  in  a 
short  time  found  himseli  the  commander  of  a  squad- 
ron of  four  vessels.  His  chief  associates  were  John 
de  la  Cosa,  tlie  skilled  navigator,  and  Americus 
Vespucius,  whose  name  was  afterwards  unjustly 
given  to  the  New  World.  The  expedition  sailed  in 
May,  1799.  Ojeda  followed  the  track  of  Columbus 
in  his  third  vpyage,  and  after  a  speedy  passage,  he 
touched  the  coast  of  South  America,  at  a  point 
south  of  the  Orinoco. 

lie  then  coasted  towards  the  north,  attacked  the 
cannibals  of  the  Caribbee  Islands,  and  after  severely 
chastisting  the  brutal  man-eaters,  lie  again  sailed 
for  the  mainland,  and  discovered  the  Gulf  of  Vene- 
zuela or  Maracaybo,  in  the  northwest  of  what  is 
now  the  Republic  of  Venezuela.  This  sheet  of 
water  is  a  wide  inlet  of  the  Caribbean'  Sea  and   by 


n 


•  So  cuUeil  from  tlie  Carib  huiians. 


Alonr^o  l)c  OJcda, 


31 


a  narrow  strait,  is  connected  witli  the  Bay  of  Mara- 
caybo.  Ojeda  ^ave  the  name  of  St.  Barthok)me\v  to 
a  port— aow  the  city  of  Maracaybo.  l^ut  after  rair.- 
bHn<^  in  \arious  directions  to  little  purpose,  the  expe- 
dition  reached   Spain  in  June,  1300. 

After  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  establish  a  colony, 
Ojeda  found  himself  involved  in  disputes  that  were 
only  slowly  settled  by  forms  of  law  in  the  Courts, 
leaving  him  indeed  "  a  triumphant  client,  but  a  ruined 
man."  Still,  his  spirit  of  adventure  burned  brightly, 
and  in  a  few  years  we  behold  him  once  more  the 
leader  of  an  expedition. 

Through  the  influence  of  friends  at  the  Spanish 
Court,  and  the  kind  offices  of  John  de  laCosa,  Ojeda 
was  appointed  Governor  of  a  portion  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Darien,  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  discovered 
by  Columbus  in  his  last  voyage.  The  armament, 
consisting  of  four  vessels  and  three  hundred  men, 
sailed  from  San  Domingo  late  in  the  year  1509. 
De  la  Cosa  was  Ojeda's  lieutenant,  ind  among  those 
on  board  was  Francis  Pizarro,  the  future  conqueror 
of  Peru.  It  seems  that  illness  alone  ])revented 
Hernando  Cortes  from   joining  the  expedition. 

Ojeda,  contrary  to  the  advice  of  the  more  ex- 
perienced De  la  Cosa,  landed  at  the  harbor  of 
Carthagena.  The  Indians  of  this  region  used 
poisoned  arrows,  and  fought  like  reptiles.  The 
very  first  meeting  between  them  and  the  fi  ry  Gov- 
ernor was  followed  by  a  conflict  and  an  unf  Jitunate 


3^ 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


raid  into  the  interior,  wliicli  lias  been  briefly 
described  in  the  hfe  of  De  la  Cosa.  The  f.iithtui 
old  pilot  was  slain,  and  the  Spaniard  who  escape  i 
to  tell  the  story  of  his  end  was  the  only  survivor 
of  seventy  that  had  followed  Ojeda  in  that  wild 
adventure. 

liut  what  became  of  the  conqueror  of  Caonabo? 
Me  fought  like  a  ti^er,  cut  his  way,  sword  in  hand, 
through  hosts  of  savages,  and,  at  length,  found  him- 
self alone  in  the  trackless  wilderness.  When  he 
thought,  however,  of  the  awful  fate  of  his  noble 
lieutenant  and  brave  companions,  his  heart  was 
ready  to  break,  and  he  almost  yielded  to  despair. 
He  wandered  through  the  woods,  struck  the  coast 
line,  but  here  his  wonderful  strength  jave  way,  and 
he  fell  weary  and  exhausted  at  the  foot  of  a  large 
tree,  where  a  searching  party  from  the  ships  found 
him  speechless  and  still  bravely  grasping  his  sword 
and  buckler.  He  soon  recovered.  "  His  followers," 
writes  Irv'ing,  "  considered  his  escape  from  death  as 
little  less  than  miraculous,  and  he  himself  regarded 
it  as  another  proof  of  the  special  protection  of  the 
Holy  Virgin;  for,  though  he  had,  as  usual,  received 
no  wound,  yet  it  is  said  his  buckler  bore  the  dints 
of  upwards  of  three  hundred  arrows." 

The  Governor  now  hastened  from  the  neighbor- 
hood of  his  misfortunes,  steered  across  the  Gulf,  and 
began  a  settlement  on  the  coast  of  Darien.  He 
founded  a  city,  and  gave  it  the   name  of  San  Sebas- 


Aionco  Dc  OJiUia. 


33 


tian,  "  in  honor  of  the  sainted  martyr  who  was  slain 
by  arrows,  hoping  that  lie  might  protect  the  inhabit- 
ants from  the  empoisoned  shafts  of  the  savages.  ' 
But  the  colony  did  not  take  root.  Provisions  grew 
scarce.  The  settlers  lost  heart,  and  the  Indians  daily 
grew  bolder,  in  spite  of  the  fearful  punishments  again 
and  a[;ain  inflicted  on  them  by  Ojeda,  w  ho  "  slew 
more  of  their  warriors  with  his  single  arm  than  all 
his  followers  together." 

In  the  midst  of  this  gloomy  state  of  affairs,  a 
strange  ship  appeared  in  the  harbor  of  San  Sebas- 
tian ;  and  Ojeda  decided  to  board  her,  and  seek  aid 
for  his  struggling  colony.  He  left  Francis  Pizarro 
in  command,  and  sailed  for  San  Domingo.  The 
ship  was  wrecked  on  the  southern  coast  of  Cuba. 
It  was  a  sad  misfortune.  The  poor  castaways  were 
hundreds  of  miles  from  any  Christian  settlement, 
and  their  only  course  was  to  cut  a  pathway  through 
the  swamps,  rivers,  and  tangled  forests  of  Cuba, 
and  then  to  cross  the  wide  strait  that  separates  it 
from  Hispaniola. 

Ojeda  led  the  dreary  march,  and  daily  infused 
some  of  his  own  hardy  spirit  into  the  famished  and 
exhausted  travellers.  At  one  point,  a  swamp  ninety 
miles  in  extent  seemed  to  bar  all  further  progress. 
Ojeda  had  daily  offered  his  prayers  before  the 
Flemish  painting  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  and  invited 
his  companions  to  do  the  same  ,  but  now  he  vowed 
that  if  his  Heavenly  Patroness  should  conduct  him 


34 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


safely  tlinni^li  tliis  peril,  ho  would  erect  a  chapel  to 
her  iionor  in  the  first  Indian  village  he  woukl  reach, 
and  leave  her  picture  there  as  an  object  of  venera- 
tion to  the  dusky  children  of  the  forest. 

When  the  sorely  tired  travellers,  still  guided  by 
the  iron  figure  of  Ojeda,  had  cut  their  way  through 
the  frightful  morass,  it  was  found  that  only  thirty- 
five  out  of  the  seventy  men  who  left  the  ship 
survived.  The  rest  had  sunk  beneath  the  burden 
of  their  miseries.  A  path  led  them  to  an  Indian 
village.  The  good  old  chief  consoled  the  famished, 
toil-worn  Spaniards,  "  and,"  says  Las  Casas,  "  almost 
worshipped  them  as  if  they  were  angels," 

Ojeda  built  a  chapel,  placed  his  famous  painting 
of  the  Holy  Virgin  above  the  altar  ;  and  after  ex- 
plaining the  truths  of  the  Catholic  religion,  he  com- 
mitted it  to  the  care  of  the  chief,  who  conceived  a 
profound  regard  for  the  beautiful  Madonna.  When 
Las  Casas,  the  celebrated  missionary,  visited  the 
village  at  a  later  period,  he  found  the  little  chapel 
swept  clean  and  decorated.  The  picture  was  guarded 
with  sacred  care. 

4  On  reaching  San  Domingo,  Oj6da  found  himself 
greatly  fallen  in  popular  estimation.  The  ill  success 
of  his  colony  was  received  as  a  bad  omen,  and, 
without  friends  or  fortune,  he  could  do  little.  Poor 
health  added  to  the  ruin  already  made  by  poverty 
and  hardship.  The  brilliant  conqueror  of  Caonabo 
sank  into   obscurity,  and   his  changed  but  still   in- 


Anicriiits  I 'ispucius. 


35 


trcpid  spirit  soon  passed  to  a  better  world.  Tlie 
consolations  of  religion  cheered  the  last  hours  of 
the  famous  cavalier.  He  requested  with  dying  lips 
to  be  buried  under  the  portal  of  the  Monastery  of 
St.  Francis  at  San  Domingo,  *'  that  every  one  who 
entered  might  tread  upon  his  grave.',* 

**  Such,"  says  Irving,  *'  was  the  fate  of  Alonzo  de 
Ojeda — and  who  does  not  forget  his  errors  and  his 
faults  at  the  th-eshold  of  his  humble  and  untimely 
grave  !  He  was  one  of  the  most  fearless  and  aspiring 
of  the  band  of  ocean  chivalry  that  followed  the  foot- 
steps of  Columbus.  His  history  presents  a  lively 
picture  of  the  daring  enterprises,  the  extravagant 
exploits,  the  thousand  accidents  by  flood  and  field, 
which  checkered  the  life  of  a  Spanish  cavalier  in 
that  roving  and  romantic  age.  " 


AMERICUS  VESPUCIUS/ 


If 


)r 

|y 

|o 


WHOSE  NAME  WAS  GIVEN  TO   THE    VA//'  WORLD,    ' 
Died  A.   Z>.   1512. 

AMERICUS  VESPUCIUS,  from  whom  America 
accidentally   received    its    name,    was    born    at 
Florence,    Italy,  on  the  6th    of   March,    1451.     His 

>  This  is  the  Latin  form  ot  the  name.    It  is  written  Amerigo  \'cspucci  m 
Italian. 


36 


The  Catholic  Piotuirs  of  Ainiriia. 


parents,  Anastatic)  Vespucci  and  Elizabctli  Mini, 
tliough  not  wcaltiiy,  were  persons  of  noble  rank. 
Americus  received  an  excellent  education  from  his 
uncle,  I''ather  George  Anthony  Vespucci,  a  learned 
monk.  It  is  said  that  while  the  youth  made  indiffer- 
ent progress  in  his  Latin  grammar,  lie  showed  a  great 
liking  and  aptitude  for  natural  philosophy,  geo- 
graphy, and  astronomy — at  that  time,  favorite 
branches  of  study,  on  account  of  their  commercial 
importance. 

It  is  not  well  known  when  Americus  went  to 
Spain.  We  find  him  there,  however,  in  1496,  en- 
gaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  As  one  of  the  mem» 
bers  of  a  large  Florentine  firm,  at  Seville  he  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Columbus  ;  and  it  seems  he 
was  always  on  friendly  terms  with  the  illustrious 
discoverer  of  the  New  World.  A  desire  to  visit  the 
newly-found  countries  seized  him;  nor  was  he  long 
in  putting  his  design  into  execution. 

As  I  have  already  stated  in  the  life  of  Ojeda, 
Americus  sailed  with  that  adventurous  pioneer  in 
1499 ;  '^'^^  ^t  is  supposed  that  he  aided  the  expedi- 
ition  to  the  extent  of  fitting  out  one  of  the  four 
vessels.  After  coasting  along  the  northern  shores 
of  South  America,  he  returned  in  November  of  the 
same  year,  but  immediately  took  part  in  a  second 
memorable  voyage  under  Vincent  Y.  Pinzon. 

On  returning  to  Spain,  however,,  Americus  wa^- 
allured  by  promises  into  the  service  of   Emmanuel, 


".*  ■^  t-'v 


//  iHcriius  I  '(S/>/u  i//s. 


37 


King  of  Portuj^al,  ami  undertook  two  more  voyages 
with  the  ships  of  tliat  monarch,  lie  s.iiled  from 
'  l)on  in  May,  1501,  ran  along  a  portion  of  the 
coast  of  Africa,  and  passed  over  to  lirazil.  The 
object  of  his  fourth  and  last  voyage  was  to  find  a 
western  passage  to  Malacca.  He  left  Lisbon  with  a 
fleet  of  six  vessels,  in  May,  1503,  and  after  a  perilous 
j)assage  discovered  the  famous  liay  of  All  Saints,  n: 
Brazil.  After  many  adventures,  he  arrived  in 
Portugal  in  the  summer  of  the  year  following.  The 
King  gave  orders  that  some  remains  of  the  ship 
Victoria,  in  which  Americus  had  made  liis  list 
voyage,  should  be  suspended  in  the  cathedral  of 
^     bon,  but  fulfilled  none  of  the  promises  which  he 

Indeed,  the  merits  and  services  of  Americus  seem 
to  have  been  poorly  rewarded  by  the  Portuguese 
monarch,  for  we  again  find  him,  in  1505,  at  Seville. 
He  was  on  his  way  to  the  Spanish  Court,  in  quest  of 
employment,  and  carried  a  letter  of  introduction 
from  the  aged  Columbus  to  his  son  James.  The 
letter  is  dated  February  5th,  and  runs  thus  : 

**  My  dear  Son. — James  Mendez  departed  hence 
on  Monday,  the  third  of  this  month.  After  his  de- 
parture, I  conversed  with  Americus  Vespucius,  the 
bearer  of  this,  who  goes  there.  '  summoned  on  affairs 
of  navigation.  Fortune  has  been  adverse  to  him,  as 
to    many    others.     His     labors   have    not  profited 

»  To  Court 


38 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


him  as  much  as  they  reasonably  should  have  done. 
He  goes  on  my  account,  and  with  much  desire  to 
do  somethin<j,  if  in  his  power,  that  may  result  to  my 
advantage.  1  cannot  ascertain  here  in  what  I  can 
employ  him  that  will  be  serviceable  to  me  ;  for  I 
do  not  know  what  may  be  there  required.  He 
y;oc:s  with  the  determination  to  do  all  that  is  possi- 
ble for  me  ;  see  in  what  he  may  be  of  advantage 
find  cooperate  with  him,  that  he  may  say  and  do 
everything,  and  put  his  plans  in  operation  ;  and  let 
all  be  done  secretly,  that  he  may  not  be  suspected. 
I  have  said  everything  to  him  that  I  can  say  touch- 
ing the  business  ;  and  have  informed  him  of  the 
pay  I  have  received,  and  what  is  due,  etc." 

This  letter  was  penned  but  little  more  than  a 
year  before  the  death  of  Columbus.  How  sad  to 
think  that  the  great  discoverer  of  the  New  World, 
and  the  famous  man  who  was  destined  to  give  his 
name  to  it,  should  each  be  reduced  to  such  needy 
circumstances  by  the  meanness,  injustice,  And  black 
ingratitude  of  monarchs  who  rolled  in  wealth ! 

At  a  later  period,  Americus  obtained  the  Spanish 
government  office  of  chief  pilot,  which  he  retained  for 
the  brief  remainder  of  his  life.  He  died  at  Seville, 
on  the  22(1  of  February,  1512,  at  the  age  of  nearly 
sixty-one  years. 

The  fame  of  Americus  Vespuciur>  had  its  origin 
in  his  writings.  He  handled  a  pen  '"«th  ease  and 
even  elegance.     Of  his  first  voyage,  he  drew  up  an 


A  filer  tats  Vespucius. 


39 


amusing  and  instructive  account,  and  transmitted  it 
lo  a  friend.  He  describes  the  Carib  Indians  and 
tlieir  immense  houses  built  in  the  shape  of  bells — 
houses  of  such  magnitude  as  to  contain  six  hundred 
persons.  In  one  place  there  were  eight  vast  houses, 
capable  of  sheltering  nearly  ten  thousand  inhabitants. 
Every  seven  or  eight  years,  the  savages  were 
obliged  to  change  their  places  of  residence  on  ac 
count  of  the  maladies  engendered  by  the  heat  of  the 
climate  in  their  crowded  habitations.  As  this  was 
long  before  the  days  of  quinine  and  medical  etluca- 
tion  in  the  New  World,  the  Indian  mode  of  treating 
a  fever  is  worthy  of  mention.  In  the  very  height  of 
the  disease,  the  patient  was  plunged  in  a  bath  of 
cold  water,  after  which  he  was  obiii'^ed  to  run  around 
a  large  fire,  until  he  was  in  a  violent  heat,  when  he 
retired  to  bed  for  a  sleep — a  kind  of  treatment  by 
•which  Americus  declares  he  saw  many. cured. 

Shortly  after  his  return  from  his  last  t  xpcdition 
to  Brazil,  he  wrote  a  letter  addressed  to  an  old 
fellow-student,  Rene,  Duke  of  Lorraine.  It  con- 
tained a  summary  account  of  all  his  voyages.  It 
claimed  considerable  credit  for  its  author  as  a  dis- 
coverer, and  soon  found  its  way  over  all  I-Airopc. 
The  work,  in  its  printed  form,  contains  erroneous 
dates  and  ambiguous  expressions — the  blunders, 
perhaps,  of  some  hasty  editor,  or  ignorant,  un- 
scrupulous publisher — that  have  led  to  volumes  of 
angry   controversy,  and   covered    the    character   of 


40 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


Americus  with  a  great   deal   of    unmerited   odium. 

He  was  beyond  all  doubt  a  skilled,  energetic  navi- 
gator, and  a  man  of  superior  literary  and  scientific 
attainments.  It  is  greatly  to  his  credit,  that  he  re- 
tained tlie  confidence  and  friendship  of  Columbus 
to  the  last.  How  America  came  to  receive  its  name 
from  him  is  not  quite  clear;  but  it  is  certain  from 
the  investigations  of  Humboldt,  that  Americus  him- 
self had  nothing  to  do  with  it. 

The  hemisj^here  discovered  by  Columbus  was  first 
called  Land  of  the  Holy  Cross,  or  Nviv  World.  It  is  so 
named  in  maps  drawn  in  the  early  part  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  The  word  America  came  from 
Germany.  A  selection  from  the  narratives  of 
Americus  found  its  way  into  that  country,  and  was 
translated  by  one  Waldseemiiller.  As  the  first 
printed  account  of  the  wonderful  discovery,  the 
book  sold  rapidly,  and  made  a  great  sensation.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  the  daily  paper  was  then 
unborn,  and  the  telegraph  a  thing  of  the  future. 

The  delighted  Waldseemiiller,  who,  it  seems,  had 
never  heard  of  Columbus,  proposed  that  the  new 
continent  should,  in  honor  of  his  favorite  author, 
Americus,  be  called  America,  since  it  is  the  custom 
in  most  languages  to  make  Europe  and  Asia  of  the 
feminine  gender.'  The  name  America  is  first  found 
on  an  old   mai)  of    1522,  and   on    a   globe   of    1570. 


>  America  is  the  feniiiiiiio  of  Americus,  just  as  Julia  is  the  feminine  ut  Julius^ 
or  Augusta  the  feminine  of  Augustus. 


Bartholomew   Columbus. 


41 


Thus  less  than  a  century  after  the  date  of  discovery, 
it  was  the  name  generally  received.  It  was  first 
given  to  portions  of  South  America,  as  can  be  seen 
on  Verrazano's  map  of  the  world,  drawn  in  1529; 
but  was  afterw^ards  extended  to  the  whole  western 
world.  "  The  name  of  Americus,"  says  Robertson, 
"  has  supplanted  that  of  Columbus  ;  and  mankind 
may  regret  an  act  of  injustice,  which,  havir.g  re- 
ceived the  sanction  of  time,  it  is  now  too  late  to 
redress." 


had 

new 

:hor, 

>tom 

the 

)und 

lulius 


BARTHOLOMEW  COLUMBUS, 

HRST  GOVERNOR  OFIU'PANIOLA,  A\D  RROT/.KR  OF  i'llE  DIS- 
COVERER OF  THE  NEIV  WORLD. 

Died  //.  Z).  1515. 

AMONG  the  brave  band  of  historic  pioneers  that 
wc  can  call  "  the  companions  of  Columbus," 
none  so  nearly  approaches  the  great  discoverer 
in  worth,  ability,  and  real  distinction  as  his  second 
self — his  noble  and  fearless  brother,  Don  Bartholo- 
mew Columbus.  - 

lie  was  the  second  of  the  family,  and  was  born  at 
Genoa.  Little  is  known  of  his  early  years.  It  seems 
that  after  a  short   time  spent  at  school,  he  began  to 


42 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


assist  his  father  in  the  wool-combing  business.  Bar 
tholomew's  tastes  were  similar  to  those  of  his  brother 
Christopher  ;  and,  like  him  also,  he  was  what  we  call 
a  self-made  man.  His  superior  knowledge  of  lan- 
guages, geography,  and  navigation  in  after  life  was 
doubtless  the  result  of  experience  and  his  own  manly- 
toil  by  long  and  careful  self  education. 

It  is  not  certain  at  what  time  Bartholomew  went 
to  push  his  fortune  in  Portugal,  then  the  most 
noted  centre  of  commerce  and  navigation  in  Europe  ; 
but  we  find  him  settled  at  Lisbon  in  the  year  1470. 
when  he  gave  an  affectionate  welcome  to  the  future 
discoverer  of  America,  who  had  been  shipwrecked 
on  the  coast.  He  was  then  an  able  mariner,  having 
spent  years  on  the  ocean. 

We  find  Bartholomew,  fifteen  years  later,  making 
a  voyage  to  England  on  the  part  of  his  brother, 
The  project  of  discovery  had  been  rejected  by  Por- 
tugal, and  Christopher  Columbus  wished  to  interest 
the  wealthy  English  monarch  in  his  mighty  designs. 
The  ship  Bartholomew  sailed  in,  however,  was  cap- 
tured by  pirates,  who  robbed  him  of  everything, 
and  cast  him  on  an  unknown  shore.  For  a  long 
time  all  his  energy  was  taxed  to  make  a  living,  and 
to  procure  suitable  clothing.  He  constructed  globes 
and  drew  charts  for  several  years  before  he  could 
succeed  in  reaching  England.  There  was  neither 
railroad  nor  steamboat  in  those  days,  and  poverty 
did  not  diminish  the  slow  mode  of  travelling, 


Bartholovuiv   Co/ urn  bus. 


43 


Nor  was  that  all.  Bartholomew  had  first  to  learn 
English,  that  he  might  the  better  explain  his 
brother's  plans  in  person.  He  had  to  provide  for 
ills  existence,  secure  the  aid  of  patrons,  and  become 
familiar  with  the  usages  and  etiquette  of  the  English 
Court.  All  this  required  time  and  toil,  and  it  was 
only  in  the  middle  of  the  year  1493  that  he  obtained 
an  interview  with  Henry  VH.  The  explanation 
was  given  with  the  aid  of  an  atlas,  and  was  so  clear 
and  convincing  that  the  King  welcomed  the  project. 

Bartholemew  at  once  departed  for  Spain,  and 
while  passing  through  Paris,  he  learned  for  the  first 
time  that  a  New  World  had  been  discovered,  and 
that  the  vast  and  gloomy  Atlantic  was  no  longer 
a  mystery.  It  must  have  been  joyful  news  to  him.  As 
a  brother  of  the  great  Admiral  Columbus,  whose 
name  was  now  on  every  lip,  he  was  welcomed  with 
marks  of  rare  honor  by  the  King  of  France.  But  he 
made  no  delay  He  arrived  at  Seville,  however, 
only  in  time  to  hear  that  the  Admiral  had  already 
sailed  on  his  second  voyage. 

He  than  proceeded  to  the  Spanish  Court,  and  was 
received  with  distinction.  His  dignified  bearing, 
happy  mastery  of  language,  and  ripe  experience  as 
an  accomplished  navigator  secured  immediate  recog- 
nition .  and  he  was  honored  with  letters  of  nobility 
and  given  the  command  of  a  squadron  that  was  to 
aid  his  brother's  enterprise  by  carrying  provisions 
to  the  colony. 


44 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


Agaii)  lie  arrived  too  late.  He  reached  the  new 
city  of  Isabella  just  after  the  departure  of  the 
Admiral  for  the  coast  of  Cuba,  and  awaited  his 
return.  When  the  ships  of  Columbus  reappeared  in 
the  harbor,  the  great  discoverer  lay  unconscious  on  a 
bed  of  sickness.  On  coming  to  himself  a  manly,  well- 
known  voice  sounded  like  healing  music  in  his  ear; 
and  he  found  himself  in  the  arms  of  Don  Bartholo- 
mew, from  whom  he  had  heard  nothing  for  eight 
years.     It  was  truly  a  joyful  meeting. 

Columbus  had  hitherto  only  the  aid  of  his 
younger  brother  James,'  a  man  of  quiet  and  amiable 
disposition  ;  but  Providence  had  now  sent  him  a 
much-needed  brother  of  a  different  stamp — a  hardy 
soldier  of  powerful  frame,  masculine  energy,  and 
rare  executive  ability.  Between  the  Admiral  and 
his  two  devoted  brothers  there  was  ever  a  warm, 
loving  attachment  ;  and  as  he  was  now  in  broken 
health,  surrounded  by  traitors,  foes,  and  false  friends, 
he  certainly  required  their  faithful  support. 

*'  To  your  brother,"  the  great  man,  shortly  before 
death,  wrote  to  his  son  James,  *'  conduct  your- 
self as  the  elder  brother  should  to  the  younger. 
You  can  have  no  other,  and  I  praise  God  that  he  is 
such  a  one  as  you  need.  Ten  brothers  would  not 
be  too  many  for  you.  Never  have  I  found  a  better 
friend  to  right  or  to  left  than  my  brothers." 

The  Admiral  at  once  appointed  Don  Bartholomew 

'  Who  in  later  years  studied  for  the  priesthood. 


Bartholomew   Coin  >nl>us. 


45 


Adeiantado,  or  governor,  and  put  all  the  power  into 
his  hands  during  his  own  convalescence.  He  was 
also  given  the  chief  command  wlien  Columbus  sailed 
for  Spain  in  1496.  He  founded  in  that  year  the 
city  of  San  Domingo,  at  present  the  capital  and 
seaport  of  the  Republic  of  San  Domingo.  He  was 
an  active,  prudent,  and  vigorous  administrator.  He- 
made  repeated  marches  of  great  extent  from  one  re- 
mote province  to  another,  and  was  always  at  the  post 
of  danger  at  the  critical  moment,  l^ut  like  his 
brother,  the  Admiral,  many  of  his  wisest  plans  were 
thwarted  by  the  grasping  avarice  and  the  violence 
and  villainy  of  colonial  ofificers. 

When  the  discoverer  of  the  New  World  was  sent 
to  Spain  in  chains,  Don  Bartholomew  suffered  alike 
indignity,  and  was  confined  on  board  of  the  same 
vessel.  He  accompanied  the  aged  Admiral  on  his 
fourth  and  last  voyage,  more  through  affection  than 
inclination.  He  landed  at  Capo  Honduras — the 
Admiral  being  too  ill  to  leave  the  ship — had  Mass 
celebrated  under  the  trees  that  lined  the  seashore, 
on  Sunday,  the  14th  of  August,  1502,  and  took  pos- 
session of  the  country  in  the  name  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella. 

The  troubles  and  dangers  of  the  vo}'age.  how- 
ever, reached  a  climax,  when  the  remains  of  the 
shattered  and  tempest-tossed  squadron  had  to  be 
run  aground  on  the  wild  coast  of  Jamaica.  Headed 
by  a  bold  ruffian  named  Porras,  a  part  of  the  crews 


46 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


mutinied,  and  added  immensely  to  the  difficulties 
of  the  situation.  When  the  rebels,  after  a  time,  re- 
solved to  attack  the  Admiral,  who  was  suffering 
from  the  tortures  of  rheumatism,  Columbus,  in  the 
goodness  of  his  heart,  made  overtures  of  peace  and 
pardon  on  condition  of  immediate  surrender.  Don 
Bartholomew  was  asked  to  reason  with  them  ;  but 
the  insolent  mutineers  laughed  at  all  offers,  and 
rushed  to  the  conflict. 

The  brave  Adclantado  and  his  followers  were  not 
unprepared.  Six  of  the  hardiest  rebels  had  made  a 
league  to  attack  Don  Bartholomew,  but  they  were 
so  well  received  by  that  fearless  master  of  the 
sword  that  at  the  first  shock  four  or  five  were  killed, 
and  among  them  John  Sanchez,  a  powerful  mariner 
who  had  once  carried  off  an  Indian  chief.  Porras,  in 
desperation,  now  assaulted  Don  Bartholomew.  He, 
too,  soon  came  to  grief,  and  was  taken  prisoner  after 
a  severe  struggle.  This  closed  the  reign  of  the 
mutineers,  and  the  Admiral  thanked  his  heroic 
brother,  who  had  once  more  proved  an  incomparable 
friend  in  need. 

Don  Bartholomew  returned  to  Spain,  1504,  and 
proceeded  to  Court  in  the  interest  of  the  aged 
Admiral.  When  King  Philip  and  his  Queen  Juana 
arrived  in  Spain,  Columbus  sent  the  Adelantado, 
always  his  confidential  coadjutor,  to  represent  him, 
and  to  present  his  congratulations  to  the  youthful 
sovereigns.      It   was   on   this    occasion   that    Don 


Bartlwlomciv   Columbus. 


47 


Bartholomev/  took  leave  of  his  immortal  brother 
for  the  last  time.  The  Admiral  died  during  his 
absence. 

Don  Bartholomew  still  held  the  office  of  Adclan- 
tado,  although  King  Ferdinand,  through  selfish 
motives,  detained  him  in  Spain,  while  he  employed 
inferior  men  in  voyages  of  discovery.  The  monarchy 
at  length,  suggested  that  he  might  colonize  and 
govern  the  Isthmus  of  Darien — an  enterprise,  it 
will  be  remembered,  unsuccessfully  attempted  by 
Ojeda.  But  it  was  now  too  late.  The  active  and 
toilsome  life  of  Don  Bartholomew  was  drawing  to  a 
close.  He  died  at  an  advanced  age,  in  15 15  —  nine 
yeais  atter  tne  illustrious  Admiral  had  passed  to  a 
better  world. 

Bartholomew  Columbus  was  a  devoted  Catholic. 
He  had  not,  it  is  true,  the  gentleness  of  his  great 
brother,  but  his  manly  virtue  and  genuine  nobility 
of  character  made  ample  amends  for  some  harsh- 
ness of  manner  and  defect  of  refinement.  He  was  a 
practical  man  of  business,  and  an  active,  fearless 
leader,  who  carried  his  plans  into  execution,  re- 
gardless of  difficulty  or  danger.  His  tall  stature, 
powerful  frame,  dignified  bearing,  and  the  fire  of 
mental  energy  that  glowed  in  his  looks — all  com- 
bined to  invest  him  with  an  air  of  great  authority. 
He  was  born  to  command. 

He  had  rare  conversational  powers,  and  wrote  in 
a  style   both   lively  and  elegant.     As  a  writer,  he 


48 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


was  gven  superior  to  the  Admiral,  according  to  Las 
Casas,  who  had  letters  and  manuscripts  of  both  in 
his  possession.  lie  spoke  Italian,  Latin,  Spanish, 
English,  and  Portuguese. 

But  the  most  beautiful  feature  in  the  character 
of  Bartholomew  Columbus  was  his  life-long  devotion 
to  the  Admiral,  "  One  would  say,"  writes  the 
Count  de  Lorgues,  "  that  he  was  born  to  command 
and  if  his  devotedness  had  not  determined  him  to 
remain  eclipsed  in  the  glory  of  his  brother,  he 
would  have  become  illustrious  on  his  own  account, 
so  much  did  he  possess  a  high  degree  of  military 
instinct,  the  genius  of  a  navigator,  and  the  foresight 
of  an  administrator." 


VINCENT  YA^^EZ  TINZON, 

ONE  OF  THE  COMPANIONS  OFCOf  [\)/BL/S,  AND  DISCOVERER  OF 

BRAZIL. 


Date  of  death  is  tmknown. 

WHEN  Christopher  Columbus  visited  the  little 
Spanish  port  of  Palos,  for  the  purpose  of 
organizing  his  wonderful  expedition  for  the  discovery 
of  the  New  World,  he  was  introduced  by  Father 
Perez    to   the  Pinzons,  a    most  worthy  and  enter- 


Vincent    Yancz  Pinzon. 


49 


prising  family  of  mariners,  who  aided  the  Admiral 
all  in  their  power.  Three  of  the  Tinzon  brothers 
risked  life  and  fortune  in  the  perilous  enterprise. 
Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  the  eldest,  was  captain  of  the 
Pinta  with  his  brother  Francis  Martin  Pinzon  for 
lieutenant.  Vincent  Yanez  Pinzon,  the  famous  sub 
ject  of  this  sketch,  and  the  youngest  of  the  brother^, 
commanded  the  beautiful  little  Nina.  Thus  the 
name  of  Pinzon  ranks  high  on  the  first  page  of 
American  history. 

It  was  towards  the  close  of  the  year  1499,  that 
Admiral  Vincent  Y.  Pinzon  set  out  from  Palos  on  a 
voyage  of  discovery  himself.  He  was  a  bold,  ex- 
perienced navigator,  and  did  not,  like  others,  closely 
follow  in  the  track  of  Columbus.  He  stood  to  the 
southwest,  and,  after  traversing  about  seven  hundred 
leagues  of  the  Atlantic,  crossed  the  equator  and  lost 
sight  of  the  north  star.  A  terrible  tempest  swept  the 
ships  still  further  into  unknown  waters,  and  when 
the  storm  had  passed  away,  the  very  heavens  were 
altered.  A  strange  and  beautiful  constellation,  glit- 
tering in  the  evening  sky,  met  the  startled  gaze  of 
the  Spaniards.  It  was  the  Southern  Cross, '  which 
since  that  day  has  guMed  the  seamen  on  the  wild 
waters  of  the  southern  hemisphere.  The  feelings 
of  Pinzon  and  his  companions  are,  perhaps,  reflected 
in  the  words  of  a  famous  traveller  of  our  own  age. 


«  So  called  becwise  it  consists  of  several  bright  stars  arranged  so  as  to  form 
the  figure  of  a  cross. 


1 


50 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Amirua. 


"  From  the  time  wc  entered  the  torrid  zone," 
writes  Humboldt,  "we  were  never  wearied  with  ad- 
miriii<|,  every  night,  the  beauty  of  the  soutiicrn  sky, 
which,  as  we  advanced  souiluvard,  opened  new  con- 
stelhitions  to  our  view.  We  feel  an  indescribable 
sensation,  when,  on  approaching  the  equator,  and 
particularly  on  passing  from  one  hemisphere  to  the 
other,  we  see  those  stars  which  we  have  contem- 
plated from  our  infancy  progressively  sink  and 
fmally  disappear. 

*'  Nothing  awakens  in  the  traveller  a  livelier  re- 
membrance of  the  immense  distance  by  which  he  is 
separated  from  his  country  th.ui  the  aspect  of  an 
unknown  firmament.  The  gr()ui)ing  of  stars  of  the 
first  magnitude,  scattered  nebuLt,  rivalling  in 
splendor  the  milky  way,  and  tracts  of  space  re- 
markable for  their  extreme  blackness,  give  a 
peculiar  physiognomy  to  the  southern  sky.  This 
sight  fills  with  admiration  even  those  who, 
uninstructed  in  the  branches  of  accurate  science, 
feel  the  same  emotion  of  delight  in  the  con- 
templation of  the  heavenly  vault  as  in  the  view 
of  a  beautiful  landscape  or  a  majestic  struct- 
ure. 

"  The  pleasure  we  felt  on  discovering  the  SoutJi^ 
em  Cross  was  warmly  shared  by  such  of  the  crew 
as  had  lived  in  the  colonies.  In  the  solitude  of  the 
seas,  we  hail  a  star  as  a  friend  from  whom  we  have 
long  been  separated.     Among  the  Portuguese  and 


fe^ 


Vimcuf    Yaiuz  Pinzon. 


5' 


I 


the  Spaniards  peculiar  motives  seem  to  increase  this 
fcelitiii.  A  reilLrious  sentiment  attaches  them  to  a 
constellation  the  form  of  wliich  recalls  the  Sign  of 
Faith  planted  by  their  ancestors  in  the  wilds  of  the 
New  World." 

After  this  digression,  let  us  go  back  to  the  intre- 
pid Pinzoj\  who  was  among  the  first  of  I-luropeans  to 
gaze  on  the  southern  hemisphere  and  the  beautiful 
cross  that  shines  in  its  firmament.  His  spirit  did 
not  quail  at  the  angry  howl  of  the  tempest,  or  the 
great  change  in  earth  and  sky.  lie  boldly  contin- 
ued his  course  towards  the  west,  anil  on  the  28th  of 
January,  1500,  his  eye  was  gladdened  by  the  sight  of 
1  great  headland,  which,  as  a  good  Catholic,  from 
motives  of  pious  gratitude,  he  named  Cape  Holy 
Mary  of  Consolation.'  It  is  now  called  Cape  Saint 
\ugustine,  and  forms  the  extreme  eastern  point  of 
Brazil.^ 

He  landed  and  took  possession  of  the  new  country 
in  the  name  of  the  Spanish  sovereigns.  Sailing 
thence  towards  the  northwest,  he  discovered  the 
mighty  Amazon  River,  and  continued  across  the 
Caribbean  Sea,  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  until  he  found 
i  nseif  among  the  Bahamas,  where  he  lost  two  of  his 
vessels  in  a  rocky  channel.  A  wild  hurricane  swal- 
1<     <:d  up  the  crews  in  sight  of  their  terrified  compan- 

■  Sanla  Maria  de  la  C'onsolacioii. 

'  It  is  often  stated  by  careless  writers  tluit  Cabral,  the  famous  Portuguese  navh 
gator,  discovere>'  Brazil.  This  is  untrue,  ("abrul  reached  the  coast  of  Brazil 
iJ.ee  months  aft-i  I'lnzori,  and  named  the  country  "  Landot  the  Holy  Cro«  ' 


52 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


ions.  On  repairing  damages,  the  Admiral  turned  the 
prows  of  his  remaining  barl<s  homeward,  and  arrived 
at  Palos  in  September,  1500,  after  one  of  the  most 
memorable  and  disastrous  voyages  yet  made  to  the 
New  World. 

As  a  reward  for  his  achievements,  power  was  now 
granted  to  Pinzon  to  colonize  and  govern  the  ample 
territory  which  he  had  discovered,  and  which  ex- 
tended southward  from  the  Amazon  to  Cape  St. 
Augustine,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  he  made  a 
second  voyage  to  Brazil.  In  1506  and  1508,  how- 
ever, he  made  tA'o  voyages,  in  company  with  De 
Solis,  and  attempted  to  discover  a  strait  supposed  by 
(Columbus  to  connect  the  Atlantic  with  the  Pacific 
at  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  Unhappily  for  the  success 
of  both  expeditions  and  the  interests  of  commerce, 
no  such  strait  exists — a  fact,  of  course,  unknDwn  at 
that  time — and  although  nearly  four  centuries  have 
since  passed  away,  no  man  has  immortalized  his 
r^ame  and  left  the  world  his  debtor  by  cutting  a 
canal  through  the  narrow,  rocky  strip  which  separates 
the  gieat  oceans  at  this  point  of  the  American  con- 
tmen^. 

The  subsequent  career  of  Vincent  Yaftez  Pinzon 
and  the  date  of  his  death  are  un::nown.  But  he 
ranks  high  as  a  skilled  and  intrepid  navigator.  He 
is  distinguished  among  the  Catholic  Pioneers  of  the 
New  World  as  t'C  first  who  crossed  the  equator  on 
the  western  ocean,  and  as  the  discoverer  of  Brazil 


Vasto  Xuncz  Dc  Balboa. 


53 


and    the    lordly    river   that    waters    its   vast    terri- 
tory.' 


VASCO  NUNEZ  DE  BALBOA, 


I 


■  DISCOVERER  OF  THE  PACIFIC  GCEAH. 

Died  A.  D.  1517. 

VASCO  NUNEZ  DE  BALBOA  was  born  in 
Spain  of  a  noble  but  reduced  family  in  the 
year  1475.  At  the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  sailed  f(,/ 
the  New  World,  and,  after  some  unprofitable  wan- 
dering, turned  farmer  in  Hispaniola.  But  fortune 
refusing  to  smile  on  his  toil,  he  was  forced  to  esca})e 
from  his  creditors  by  having  himself  smuggled  on 
board  of  a  vessel  bound  for  Panama  in  15 10. 

The  ship  was  commanded  by  De  Encisco,  and 
contained  supplies  and  reinforcements  for  Ojeda's 
ill-fated  colony  at  San  Sebastian.  It  is  curious  to 
reflect  that  the  man  destined  to  discover  the  eastern 
shores  of  the  largest  ocean  on  the  globe,  should 
hrrve  been  compelled  to  hide  himself  in  a  cask 
before  he  could  share  in  the  new  enterprise! 

»  When  Washinprtcn  Irving  visited  Pa!os  in  i8?S,  he  was  surprised  iind  prnti- 
fied  to  find  that  the  Pinzon  fa-nily  still  prosjiered,  and  were  well  and  worthily 
represented  Admiral  Pinzon,  of  the  Spanish  navy,  has  added  new  lustre  to  an 
old  name  m  the  latter  ha!'  of  the  nineteenth  century. 


54 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Aineriea. 


While  on  the  voyage,  Encisco's  expedition  was 
met  by  a  strange  craft  commanded  by  Francis 
Pizarro.  It  contained  the  wretched  remnant  of 
Ojcda's  colony.  Famine  and  the  poisoned  arrows 
of  the  Indians  had  hastened  their  departure  from 
the  wild  Isthmus.  De  Encisco,  however,  prevailed 
on  Pizarro  and  his  crew  to  return. 

In  the  meantime  Balboa  had  emerged  from  his 
cask,  and  met  with  no  very  friendly  reception.  But 
he  had  faith  in  himself.  He  was  now  in  the  prime 
of  life.  While  his  manners  were  frank  and  winning, 
he  was  a  good  sailor,  a  fearless  soldier,  and  an  ex- 
pert swordsman.  Tall  in  stature,  he  was  well  formed 
and  vigorous ;  and  an  open,  manly,  handsome 
countenance  added  to  his  other  attractions.  In 
truth,  he  was  well  fitted  by  nature  to  dazzle  or  com- 
mand  the  multitude. 

Disaster  met  Encisco  before  landing  His  vessel 
struck  a  rock  in  the  harbor  of  San  Sebastian,  and 
the  angry  waters  swallowed  up  the  cargo.  The 
town  was  found  to  be  a  mass  of  charred  ruins.  It 
was  decided  to  abandon  such  an  unlucky  region  ; 
but  whither  should  they  go?  At  this  moment  of 
doubt  and  anxiety,  Balboa  ventured  to  give  counsel. 

"I  remember,"  he  said,  "to  have  seen,  when  I 
was  on  these  coasts  some  years  ago,  a  village 
situated  by  a  large  river,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
gulf.  The  inhabitants  were  of  a  mild  character  and 
did  not  use  poisoned  arrows." 


yasto  Nunez  De  Balboa. 


55 


It 


lie  offered  to  act  as  guide,  and  the  offer  was 
gladly  accepted.  When  the  place  was  reached, 
however,  the  Indians  proved  that  they  could  fight; 
and  it  was  only  after  routing  five  hundred  warriors 
led  by  a  bold  chief,  that  the  Spaniards  found  them- 
selves masters  of  the  situation.  It  was  made  the 
scat  of  government,  and  called  Our  Lady  of  Antigua. 

Balboa's  worth  was  '^oon  appreciated,  and  an  in- 
surrection gave  him  supreme  command  of  the 
colony.  During  one  of  his  expeditions  into  the 
interior  of  the  country  he  received  a  present  of  gold 
from  an  Indian  chief;  and  was  told  that  south  of 
the  mountain  range  which  towered  above  them,  lay 
a  mighty  sea,  and  that  monarchs  who  drank  out  of 
golden  vessels  ruled  on  its  shores.  This  was  the 
first  information  the  Spaniards  received  in  relation 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  the  rich  country  since 
known  by  the  name  of  Peru. 

Balboa  resolved  at  once  to  set  out  in  quest  of  the 
strange  ocean.  A  romantic  interest  surrounds  the 
story  of  discovery.  He  gather- d  around  him  one 
hundred  and  ninety  tried  and  resolute  followers 
and  his  faithful  dog  Lvoncico — the  terror  of  the 
savages — wagged  his  tail,  for  he  too  was  to  bear  his 
master  company.  Indian  guides  were  secured. 
And  when  all  was  in  readiness,  Mass  was  celebrated 
to  call  down  the  blessing  of  Heaven  on  the  enter- 
prise. 

After  cutting  their  way  for  three  weeks  in  a  track- 


I 


n 


56 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  0/  America, 


less  wilderness,  daily  fighting  hostile  savages,  push- 
ing through  deadly  swamps  and  tangled  forests, 
climbing  steep  rocks,  and  enduring  countless  hard- 
ships, the  exhausted  Spaniards  at  length  reached  an 
Indian  village  at  the  foot  of  the  last  elevation  that 
separated  them  from   a  view  of  the  waters  beyond. 

It  was  the  26th  of  September,  15 13.  "The  day 
had  scarce  dawned,"  writes  Irving,  *'  when  Balboa 
and  his  followers  set  forth  from  the  Indian  village, 
and  began  to  climb  the  height.  It  was  severe  and 
rugged  toil  for  men  so  wayworn  ;  but  they  were 
filled  with  new  ardor  at  the  idea  of  the  triumphant 
scene  tliat  was  so  soon  to  repay  them  for  all  their 
hardships. 

"About  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  they  emerged 
from  the  thick  forests  through  wliich  they  had  hith- 
erto struggled,  and  arrived  at  a  lofty  and  airy  region 
of  the  mountain.  The  bald  summit  alone  remained 
to  be  ascended  ;  and  their  guides  pointed  to  a  mode- 
rate eminence,  from  which  they  said  the  Southern 
Sea  was  visible. 

"Upon  this  Balboa  commanded  his  followers  to 
halt,  and  that  no  man  should  stir  from  his  place. 
Then,  with  a  palpitating  heart,  he  ascended  alone 
the  bare  mountain-top.  On  reaching  the  summit 
the  long-desired  prospect  burst  upon  his  view.  It 
was  as  if  a  new  world  were  unfolded  to  him,  sepa- 
rated from  all  hitherto  known  by  this  mighty  barrier 
of  mountains.     Below  him  extended  a  vast  chaos  of 


/ 


I'^asco  Ntinez  De  Balboa. 


s; 


rock  and  forest,  and  green  savannas  and  wandering 
streams,  while  at  a  distance  the  waters  of  the 
promised  ocean  glittered  in  the  morning  sun." 

Balboa  fell  upon  his  knees,  raised  his  eyes,  moist- 
ened in  tears  of  gratitude,  to  Heaven,  and  thanked 
Almighty  God  for  the  favor  of  making  such  a 
wonderful  discovery.  He  then  invited  his  troops 
to  ascend.  "My  brothers,"  he  exclaimed,  "behold 
the  object  of  all  our  desires,  and  the  reward  of  all 
our  toils!  Let  us  give  thanks  to  God  that  he  has 
granted  us  this  great  honor  and  advantage.  Let  us 
pray  to  him  to  guide  and  aid  us  to  conquer  the  se.* 
and  land  which  we  have  discovered,  and  which 
Christian  has  never  entered  to  preach  the  holy 
doctrine  of  the  Evangelists. 

"  As  to  yourselves,  be  as  you  have  hitherto  been, 
faithful  and  true  to  me,  and  by  the  favor  of  Christ, 
you  will  become  the  richest  Spaniards  that  have 
ever  come  to  the  Indies  ;  you  will  render  the  great- 
est services  to  your  King  that  ever  vassal  rendered 
to  his  lord  ;  and  you  will  have  the  eternal  glory  and 
advantage  of  all  that  is  here  discovered,  conqueretl, 
and  converted  to  our  Holy  Catholic  Faith." 

This  eloquent  speech  raised  his  companions  to 
a  high  pitch  of  enthusiasm,  and  they  promised  to 
follow  their  fearless  leader  to  the  ends  of  the  earth. 
Father  Andrew  de  Vara,  the  chaplain  of  the  cx[)e- 
dition,  then  intoned  the  Te  Deum,  and  all  devout l\- 
joined  in  chanting  the  sacred  anthem,  whose  strains 


58  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 

were  the  first  Christian  music  wafted  by  the  winds 
of  the  Pacific. 

The  country  was  then  taken  possession  of  in 
the  name  of  the  Spanish  Sovereij^ns..  A  tall  tree 
was  cut  down,  a  cross  made,  and  erected  on  the 
very  spot  on  wliich  Balboa  stood  when  he  first  saw 
the  vast  expanse  of  waters.  On  descending'  to  the 
ocean,  he  found  himself  on  the  borders  of  an  im- 
mense bay,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  St. 
Michael,  having  discovered  it  on  the  feast  of  the 
great  Archangel. 

The  brave  commander  marched  into  the  water, 
bearing  in  his  hand  a  banner  of  the  Holy  Virgin 
and  the  Infant  Jesus,  and  took  formal  possession 
of  sea  and  land  for  his  sovereigns.  The  usual  docu- 
ment was  drawn  up  by  a  notary.  Three  crosses 
were  then  cut  on  three  separate  trees  in  honor  of 
the  Three  Divine  Persons  of  the  Blessed  Trinity,  and 
this  terminated  the  ceremonies. 

I  have  thus  recounted  the  story  of  how  the 
Pacific  Ocean  was  discovered  with  some  minuteness. 
It  is  one  of  the  great  events  of  history.  Let  us 
now  glance  at  the  remainder  of  Balboa's  career — so 
sad  and  brief.  His  first  care  was  to  send  home  the 
news  of  his  discovery,  and  to  demand  reinforce- 
ments for  the  conquest  of  Peru.  King  Ferdinand, 
with  his  usual  hateful  policy,  appointed  another 
Governor  over  the  territories  added  by  Balboa  to 
his  crown,  while  the  immortal  pioneer  himself  was 


Vasco  Nuntz  De  Balboa. 


59 


tardily  assigned  the  subordinate  position  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor. But  Balboa  did  not  coinplain. 
He  received  the  new  Governor — a  cruel,  intris^uinLj 
courtier  named  Davila — with  all  the  respect  due  to 
his  position. 

It  could  scarcely  be  hoped  that  harmony  would 
long  prevail  between  men  so  different  in  merit, 
temper,  and  genius,  as  Balboa  and  Davila.  From 
the  first  Davila  exhibited  feelings  of  jealousy.  Dis- 
sensions were  frequent,  and  the  colony  suffered  in 
consequence.  The  Bishop  of  Darien,  for  a  time, 
succeeded  in  reconciling  the  Governor  and  his 
Lieutenant.  When  Balboa  promised  to  mkrry 
Davila's  daughter,  it  was  thought  the  reconciliation 
would  be  lasting. 

The  discoverer  of  the  Pacific  now  hastened 
preparations  for  the  conquest  of  Peru.  Not  finding 
suitable  timber  for  ship-building  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  he  had  it  cut  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  It 
was  then  dragged  piece  by  piece  over  the  rugged, 
lofty  mountains  of  the  Isthmus.  Even  anchors 
and  rigging  were  thus  conveyed,  and  it  need  scarccl\- 
be  said  that  the  toil  was  extreme.  At  length,  four 
vessels  manned  by  three  hundred  chosen  men  were 
ready  to  sail,  when  Balboa  received  an  unexi)ected 
message  from  Davila,  requesting  his  immediate 
presence. 

He  at  once  hastened  to  Alca  to  meet  the  Gov- 
ernor, never  for  a  moment  suspecting  the  murderous 


1 


: 


6o 


The  Catliolic  Pioneers  of  America. 


i 


treadiery  of  the  man  While  on  the  way  he  was 
arrested  by  his  old  companion  Francis  Pizarro,  and 
cast  into  prison.  A  mock  trial  began,  and  Balboa 
was  condemned  to  death,  on  the  false  charge  of 
meditating  rebellion.  But  the  noble  discoverer  re- 
j)elled  the  charge  with  virtuous  indignation  ;  and, 
fixing  his  e)'e  on  the  base  and  brutal  Davila,  he 
exclaimed  : 

"  Had  I  been  conscious  of  my  guilt,  what  could 
have  induced  me  to  come  here  and  put  myself  into 
your  hands?  Had  I  meditated  rebellion,  what  pre- 
vented me  from  carrying  it  into  effect?  I  had  four 
ships  ready  to  weigh  anchor,  three  hundred  brave 
men  at  my  command,  and  an  open  sea  before  me. 
What  had  I  to  do  but  to  spreatl  sail  and  press  for- 
ward ?  There  wasno  doubt  of  finding  a  land,  whether 
rich  or  poor,  sufficient  for  me  and  mine,  far  beyond 
the  reach  of  your  control.  In  the  innocence  of  my 
heart,  however,  I  came  here  promptly  at  your 
mere  request,  and  my  reward  is  insult — slander- 
chains!" 

In  violation  of  all  forms  of  justice,  Balboa  was  con- 
demned to  death.  But  he  met  his  unhappy  fate  like  a 
brave  man  and  a  true  Catholic  :  and  after  making  a 
last  humble  confession  and  receiving  Holy  Com- 
munion, he  was  beheaded  in  15  I/,  at  the  rude  town 
of  Alca,  almost  in  sight  of  the  cross  on  the  moun 
tain  that  bore  witness  to  his  immortal  discovery. 

"  Thus  perished,"  says  Irving,  **  in  his  forty-second 


John  Ponce  De  Leon. 


6i 


year,  in  the  prime  and  vigor  of  his  days  and  tlie 
full  career  of  his  glory,  one  of  the  most  illustrious 
and  deserving  of  Spanish  discoverers — a  victim  to 
the  basest  and  most  perfidious  envy.  His  fate,  like 
that  of  his  renowned  predecessor,  Columbus,  ])roves 
that  it  is  sometimes  dangerous  even  to  deserve  too 
greatly." 


JOHN  PONCE  DE  LEON, 

TlfF.   nrSCOVRRER  OF  FT.ORTDA. 


Died  A.  D.  1521. 

.  A  MONG  the  hardy,  well-seasoned  cavaliers  who 
/~V  sailed  with  Columbus  in  his  second  voyage, 
was  John  Ponce  de  Leon,  a  native  of  Spain.  His 
youth  had  been  devoted  to  arms,  and  he  had 
served  in  many  a  campaign  against  the  Moors, 
Nor  was  he  long  in  the  New  World,  when  he  ac- 
quired fame  as  a  skilled  Indian  fighter. 

Ponce  de  Leon  was  appointed  to  the  command  of 
a  province  embracing  the  eastern  extremity  of 
Hispaniola.  A  neighboring  island,  hitherto  unex- 
plored, could  be  seen  in  the  distance.  It  was  Porto 
Rico,  whose  lofty  mountains  were  clothed  with 
forest    trees   of    prodigious    size   and    magnificent 


w 


62 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


foliage.  The  climate  was  liealthy.  Precious  metals 
abounded,  and  silvery  streams  flowed  down  the  sides 
of  wild  valleys  full  of  romantic  scenery. 

All  this  Ponce  de  Leon  discovered  on  explorin^r 
the  country  in  1508.  The  next  thing  was  to  con- 
quer it.  The  King,  indeed,  made  him  governor; 
but  the  Indians  battled  bravely  for  their  island 
paradise.  It  was  only  after  much  fighting  and  many 
hardships  that  he  became  master  of  Porto  Rico. 

It  is  singular  th.it  among  his  most  successful 
"  warriors  was  a  dog  named  Berezillo,  renowned  for 
courage,  strength,  and  sagacity.  It  is  said  that  he 
could  distinguish  those  of  the  Indians  who  were 
allies  from  those  who  were  enemies  of  the  Spaniards. 
To  the  former  he  was  docile  and  friendlv,  to  the 
latter  fierce  and  implacable.  He  was  the  terror  of 
the  natives,  who  were  unaccustomed  to  powerful 
and  ferocious  animals,  and  did  more  service  in  this 
wild  warfare  than  could  have  been  rendered  by 
several  soldiers.  This  famous  dog  was  killed  some 
years  afterwards  by  a  poisoned  arrow,  as  he  was 
swimming  in  the  sea  in  pursuit  of  a  Carib  Indian!"' 

In  the  course  of  time,  however.  Ponce  de  Leon  was 

relieved  of  the  command  of  Porto  Rico.     But  the  old 

cavalier  looked   about   for  some  new   undertaking. 

Age  could  not  tame  his  restless  spirit;  and  his  head 

was  soon  filled  with  one  of  the  most  romantic  enter- 


'  It   may   be  of  interest   to  note   that  Balboa's    historic    dog.   the  faithful 
/-f<'«i/(  (',  was  of  tiie  same  breed  as  Birezillo, 


Jolin  J\)Hit'  J)c  Leon, 


^'3 


prises  in  early  American  liistory.  He  had  earned 
from  some  wandering  Indians  of  a  country  in  the 
northwest — a  land  abounding  in  riches  and  possess- 
ing a  river  of  such  marvellous  virtue  that  a  bath  in  ils 
healing  waters  restored  decrepit  age  to  the  bloom, 
vigor,  and  beauty  of  youth.  • 

"Tonce  de  Leon,"  says  Irving,  "listened  to  these 
tales  with  fond  credulity.  He  was  advancing  in 
life,  and  the  ordinary  term  of  existence  seemed  in- 
sufificient  for  his  mighty  plans.  Could  he  but  i)lunge 
into  this  gifted  river,  and  come  out  with  his  battered, 
war-worn  body  restored  to  the  strength,  and  freshness, 
and  suppleness  of  youth,  and  his  head  still  retaining 
the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  age,  what  enterprises 
might  he  not  accomplish  in  the  additional  course  of 
vigorous  years  insured  to  him. 

"  It  may  seem  incredible  at  the  present  day  that  a 
man  of  years  and  experience  could  yield  any  failh 
to  a  story  which  resembles  the  wild  fiction  of  an 
Arabian  tale;  but  the  wonders  and  novelties  bieak- 
ing  upon  the  world  in  that  age  of  discovery  almost 
realized  the  illusions  of  fable.   .  .  . 

"  So  fully  convinced  was  the  worthy  old  cavalier  of 
the  existence  of  the  region  described  to  him  that  he 
fitted  out  three  ships  at  his  own  expense  to  prosecute 
the  discovery,  nor  had  he  any  difficulty  in  finding 
adventurers  in  abundance  ready  to  cruise  with  him  in 
quest  of  this  fairy-land." 

He  steered    from  the  Island  of    Porto  Rico,  and 


\l 


rwr" 


64 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


after  sailing  to  the  nortluvest  for  over  three  weeks, 
he  discovered  an  unknown  country,  decked  in 
blooming  flowers  and  covered  with  magnificent  for- 
ests. It  was  Easter  Sunday — called  by  the  Span- 
iards Pascua  Florida — the  27th  of  March,  1512.  The 
veter.m  Catlu  1  c  pioneer*  named  the  new  land  Florida, 
a  name  retained  to  this  day.  He  took  possession  of 
the  country  for  the  Spanish  Sovereigns.  The  Indians 
proved  fierce  and  warlike,  and,  after  looking  in  vain 
for  the  river  of  youth,  he  turned  his  steps  homeward. 

Ponce  dc  Leon  wai  received  with  much  honor  at 
the  Spanish  Court,  and  King  Ferdinand  bestowed 
on  him  the  title  of  Governor  of  Florida.  Nine 
years  passed  away,  however,  before  he  resolved  to 
settle  and  develop  the  resources  of  the  new  coun- 
tr3\  Aroused  to  fresh  exertion  by  the  news  of  the 
brilliant  achievements  of  Cortes  in  Mexico,  he  fitted 
out  an  expedition  and  landed  on  the  coast  of  Florida. 
A  sharp  encounter  with  the  savages  followed.  The 
Governor,  mortally  wounded,  was  borne  on  board  of 
his  ship,  which  sailed  for  Cuba.  He  died,  shortly 
alter  landing  at  that  island,  in  152 1 

"Thus  fate,"  says  a  Spanish  writer,  "delights  to 
reverse  the  schemes  of  man.  The  discovery  that 
Ponce  de  Leon  flattered  himself  was  to  lead  to  a 
means  of  perpetuating  his  life,  had  the  ultimate  ef- 
fect of  hastening  his  death." 

It  is  true,  the  old  warrior  failed  to  find  the  foun- 
tain  of  youth;  but   he  immortalized  his  name   by 


Fernando  Magillan. 


«5 


discovering  Florida.  The  epitaph  on  his  monument 
is  a  fair  summary  of  his  fearless  cliaracter;  "In 
this  tomb  rest  the  bones  of  a  ni.in  who  was  a  lion 
by  name,'  and  still  more  by  nature." 


FERNANDO  MAGELLAN, 

DjSCOVERER  of   the  straits    that  bear    /lis   NAME,  AND 

ADMIRAL  OF  THE  FLEET  THAI  FIRST  SAILED 

AROUND  THE  IVORLD. 

Died  A.  D.  1521. 

FERNANDO  MAGELLAN  belonged  to  an  an- 
cient and  noble  family,  and  was  born  at  Oporto,  in 
Northern  Portugal,  about  the  year  1480.  From  boy- 
hood he  was  noted  for  piety,  bravery,  and  enterprise. 
He  spent  some  years  at  the  Court  of  his  native  coun- 
try, and  afterwards  served  with  distinction  in  the 
Ea.st  Indies  under  the  famous  General  Albuquerque. 
Fie  thought,  however,  that  his  faithful  services  were 
ill-rewarded  by  the  Portuguese  monarch,  and  di- 
rected his  steps  to  Spain  in  1 5 17. 

Magellan's  mind  was  now  filled  with  a  mighty 
enterprise.  Columbus  had  discovered  the  New 
World,  and  Balboa  had  found  an  ocean  washing  its 

>  Leon  is  the  Spanish  of  lion. 


''Kn 


r 


m 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


western  shores.  A  passage  around  Southern  Amer- 
ica, MageUan  reasoned,  would  be  a  much  shorter 
hi^'hway  for  the  rich  commerce  of  the  Molucca  or 
Spice  Islands,  tiian  the  usual  route  by  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope.  Besides,  it  such  a  passage  were  dis- 
covered, he  could  then  sail  around  the  world.  This 
splendid  idea,  it  will  be  remembered,  owed  its  origin 
to  the  genius  of  Columbus;  but  It  remained  for 
Another  great  Catholic  Pioneer  to  carry  it  into  execu- 
tion. •■'  , 

Magellan  at  once  made  his  plans  known  to  Car- 
dinal Ximincs  and  King  Charles,  and  met  with 
every  encouragement.  An  agreement  was  drawn  up 
to  the  effect  that  Magellan  was  to  be  Admiral  of 
the  exploring  fleet,  and  governor  of  all  the  lands 
that  he  might  discover.  He  was  also  to  have  one 
twentieth  part  of  all  revenues  arising  from  his 
discoveries,  besides  many  other  privileges. 

ITavi  ig  bade  a  last  loving  farewell  to  his  young 
wife,  Magellan  stepped  on  board  his  ship  at  Seville. 
The  fleet  dropped  down  the  river,  and  soon  reached 
the  old  seaport  of  San  Lucar.  Here  the  ships 
stores  were  completed,  Mass  was  celebrated  for  the 
success  of  the  enterprise,  and  the  Admiral  at  the 
head  of  his  crews  received  Holy  Communion. 

Let  us  glance  at  the  little  squadron  before  it  de- 
[)arts.  It  was  the  2oth  of  September,  15 19.  The 
vessels  were  five  in  number,  and  carried  eighty 
cannon.   Magellan's  flag-ship  w^as  named  the  Trinity  ; 


Fernando  Mai^cllan. 


^7 


y 


then  there  were  the  Innnaculatc  Conception^  tlic 
St.  Anthony,  the  Victoria,  and  the  St.  Janus 
The  crews  numbered  two  hundred  and  fifty  men. 
Among  the  most  noted  of  the  (officers  were  Magel- 
lan's brother-in-law,  Edward  Ikirbosa  ;  John  Serrano, 
cap'ain  of  the  St.  James  ;  Anthony  Pigafetta,  whd 
aftet'vvards  wrote  an  account  of  the  voyage,  and 
John  Sebastian  Elcano,  a  distinguished  pilot.  Several 
priests  acconii)anied  tlie  expedition. 

Magellan  stood  to  the  southwest,  and  after  buf« 
feting  the  waves  of  the  Atlantic  for  over  two 
months,  he  reached  the  shores  oi  what  is  now 
Southern  Brazil  in  South  America.  His  first  act 
was  to  land,  and  have  a  little  altar  erected  on  the 
beach.  Officers  and  men  knelt  around  devoutly, 
and  Mass  was  celebrated  for  the  first  time  in  that 
wild  region,  which  seemed  to  be  the  favorite  abode 
oi  demons,  parrots,  monkeys,  and  cannibals. 

The  Admiral  skirted  along  the  coast  towards  the 
south,  keeping  a  careful  watch  for  every  bay  and 
inlet.  *'  He  did  not  reach  the  River  de  la  Plata,' 
says  Robertson,  "till  the  12th  of  January.  1520. 
The  spacious  opening  through  which  its  vast  body 
of  water  pours  into  the  Atlantic  allured  him  to 
enter,  but  after  sailing  up  it  for  some  days,  he  con- 
cluded, from  the  shallowness  of  the  stream  and  the 
freshness  ot  the  watci  that  the  wished-for  strait  was 
not  situated  there,  and  continued  his  course  towards 
the  soutlix 


!     '•>• 


t 
•.I 


I 


68 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


"  On  the  31st  of  March  he  arrived  at  the  port  of 
St.  Julian,  about  forty-eight  degrees  south  of  the 
hnc,  where  he  resolved  to  winter.  In  this  uncom- 
fortable station  he  lost  one  of  his  scjuadron  ;  anu  the 
Spaniards  suffered  so  much  from  the  excessive  rigor 
of  the  climate,  that  the  crews  of  three  of  his  ships, 
headed  by  their  officers,  rose  in  open  mutiny,  and 
insisted  on  relinquishing  the  visionary  project  of  a 
desperate  adventurer,  and  returning  directly  to 
Spain. 

"  This  dangerous  insurrection  Magellan  sup- 
])ressed,  by  an  effort  of  courage  no  k^ss  prompt  than 
intrepid,  and  inflicted  exemplary  punishment  on  the 
ringleaders."  He  held  his  course  towarus  the  south 
in  tlie  midst  of  blinding  tempests.  The  weary,  dis- 
heartened sailorr,  again  grew  clamorous ,  and  the 
Admiral  was  obliged  to  exhibit  a  stern  front,  and 
exert  all  his  authority. 

"  I  shall  go  on,"  he  said,  "  even  till  we  reach  the 
ice-seas  of  the  southern  pole.  The  land  of  this  con- 
tinent must  end  somewhere  ;  and  when  we  rc;ich 
this  limit  we  shall  h.ive  achieved  our  object.  We 
still  have  food,  water,  clothing,  and  sound  ships. 
Why,  then,  should  we  despair?" 

The  2 1st  of  Octob  '  1520,  a  bright,  sunny  morn- 
ing, was  the  festival  of  the  Eleven  Thousand  Vir- 
gins. The  vessels  were  making  brisk  time,  and 
Mass  was  just  finished,  at  a  little  altar  on  the  poop, 
when  a  sailor  from  the  look-out  cried  that  he  saw  a 


^ 


the 
con- 
acli 
We 
ips. 


Fernando  Magellan. 

cape  in  the  distance.  It  was  soon  visible  to  all. 
Magellan  called  it  Cape  of  the  Virgins,  the  name  by 
which  it  is  yet  known,  and  un  rounding  it  a  vast 
expanse  of  water,  which  proved  to  be  the  long- 
sought-for  strait,  was  seen  to  extend  inland. 

ingled  hope  and  fear  filled  the  heart  of  Magcl- 
l.in  as  he  steered  into  the  strange  opening.  He  can 
tiously  crept  along  the  winding,  unknown  ciianncl, 
which  -I*  some  points  narrowed  to  five  m'lcs  in 
width,  and  at  others  expanded  to  thirty.  The  navi- 
gation was  as  difificult  as  it  was  dangerous. 

Tm At  ring  snow-crested  mountains,  with  cloven 
peaks,  r^uard  the  Strait  like  so  many  hoary  senti- 
nels. Bays,  shady  inlets,  and  small  sheltered  har- 
bors break  the  base  of  these  mountain  walls  on  each 
side,  while  above  the  sombre  forests,  above  the  line 
of  vegetation,  lie  vast  fields  of  snow  and  ice — gla- 
ciers in  which  the  voyager  can  count  every  rift 
and  deep  crevice  as  he  sails  past  them,  and  from 
which  countless  cascades  descend,  and  mingle  with 
the  waters  below. 

After  sailing  for  twenty  days  in  this  lonely,  laby- 
rinthine, but  picturesque  strait,  to  which  he  gave  his 
own  name,  which  is  three  hundred  miles  in  length, 
and  where  one  of  his  ships  deserted  him,  Magellan 
beheld  the  boundless  expanse  of  the  Southern 
Ocean.  The  illustrious  pioneer  thanked  Heaven 
for  seeing  what  he  had  so  long  sought  The  Tc 
Dcum  was   chanted,  and  the  joyful  booming  of  the 


<\.-\i 


S(  'J 

i  ■■■;?• 


\% 


Y? 


'o 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Anurica. 


cannon  was  echoed  for  miles  around  by  the  wild, 
hilly  shores. 

ILivin;^  made  some  repairs,  and  taken  i/i  a  fresh 
supply  of  wood,  water,  and  provisions,  Magellan 
steered  towards  the  northwest,  determined  to  push 
his  way  to  the  far-famed  Molucca,  or  Spice  Islands, 
and  thence  homeward,  thus  encircling  the  globe. 
1^'or  weeks  the  weather  was  calm,  and  gentle  breezes 
wafted  the  vessels  over  the  unknown  waters.  The 
Admiral  was  much  impressed  with  this  tranquillity 
of  the  mighty  deep.  One  day  he  called  his  officers 
about  him. 

"  My  comrades,"  said  he,  "  we  are  sailing  on  an 
unknown  ocean.  No  European  ship  has  ever  before 
ploughed  these  gentle  waters.  On  our  charts,  this 
vast  expanse  is  nameless.  Do  you  not  see  that  its 
surface  is  as  smooth  as  a  lake  ?  its  breezes  are  mild  : 
and  soft  and  even  is  its  temperature.  Comrades, 
I  will  give  this  great  sea  a  name,  and  christen  it. 
Henceforth,  let  it  be  known  as  the  Pacific.'" 

Magellan  held  on  his  course,  but  was  soon  visited 
by  cruel  hardships.  "  He  sailed  during  three 
months  and  twenty  days,"  writes  the  historian 
Robertson,  "  in  a  uniform  direction  towards  the 
northwest,  without  discovering  land.  In  this 
voyage — the  longest  that  had  ever  been  made  on 
the  unbounded  ocean — he  suffered  incredible  dis- 
tress. His  stock  of  provisions  was  almost  exhausted, 
the  witer  became  putrid,  the  men  were  reduced  to 


1 


Fernando  Magellan. 


71 


isited 
three 
orian 
;  the 
this 
de  on 
dis- 
sted, 
:ed  to 


the  shortest  allowance  with  whicli  it  was  possible  to 
sustain  life  ;  and  the  scurvy,  the  most  •dreadful  of 
all  th'^  maladies  with  which  sc.i-faring  people  are  in- 
flicted, be^^an  to  spread  amon<j  the  crews. 

"  When  reduced  to  such  extremity  that  they 
must  have  sunk  under  their  sufferings,  they  fell  in 
with  a  cluster  of  small  but  fertile  islands,  which  af 
forded  them  refreshments  in  such  abundance  that 
their  health  was  soon  reestablished.  From  these 
isles,  which  the  Admiral  called  Dc  los  Ladroncs^  he 
proceeded  on  his  voyage,  and  soon  made  the  more 
important  discovery  of  the  islands  now  known  by 
the  name  of  the  Philippines'"^ 

While  cruising  among  ihese  picturesque  islands, 
admiring  the  perfumed  air,  luxuriant  foliage,  ami 
countless  beauties  which  nature  had  scattered  around 
with  a  lavish  hand,  Magellan  came  to  the  Island  of 
Mazzava,  where  he  was  warmly  welcomed.  The 
dusky  monarch  of  that  island  was  very  friendly.  He 
(lined  more  than  once  on  board  the  flag-ship;  and 
it  is  said  that  he  used  the  royal  fingers  at  table  with 
such  skill  as  to  make  a  knife  and  fork  unnecessary. 

When  Easter  Sunday  came,  Magellan  resolved  to 
have  it  celebrated  with  becoming  splendor.  The 
King,  his  brother,  and  their  officers,  were  invited   to 


'  The  I.ailrones,  or  Thieves  Islnnds,  were  so  namcil  t>\  Magellan  on  accoun! 
of  the  sttalhiir  propensity 'jf  the  natives.  Th<' ^roup  consists  ot  about  twentv 
small  isl.iiids 

*  The  Philippine  Islands  number  over  1,200,  some  •>?  tbem  bein=(lartje  and  im- 
portant .     Sec  a  map. 


V 


ir 


f2 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


be  present  at  the  sacred  ceremonies.  It  was  a  scene 
for  a  painter.  An  altar  was  erected  on  shore. 
Weatlier-beatcn  sailors  and  brave  officers  gathered 
around  this  lone  centre  of  Catholic  devotion.  Ma- 
gellan, in  his  Admiral's  uniform,  with  a  swarthy  king 
on  each  side,  knelt  with  dignity  and  reverence  ;  and 
as  the  priest  raised  the  Holy  Host  to  Heaven,  ever)' 
worshi[)p(jr  bowed  down  to  the  earth,  and  the  cannon 
from  the  ships  pealed  forth  one  salute  after  an- 
other in  honor  of  the  Resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ, 
And  thus  was  celebrated  the  first  Mass  in  that  re- 
gion of  untutored  barbarism,  whose  inhabitants  were 
given  to  the  worship  of  idols  and  demons.  A  few 
days  after  this,  the  Admiral  erected  a  large  cross  on 
a  lofty  neighboring  hill,  and  explained  to  the  pagan 
King  that  it  was  the  symbol  of  the  true  God. 

From  Mazzava  the  Admiral  sailed  for  the  beau- 
tiful neighboring  island  of  Sebu,  accompanied  by 
his  royal  friend.  The  Spaniards  were  kindly  re- 
ceived. Magellan  and  the  priests  began  the  work 
of  conversion.  It  was  indeed  a  glorious  work  to 
plant  the  first  seeds  of  L^uth  in  that  wild  archi- 
pelago. When  the  young  princes  expressed  their 
belief  in  the  truths  of  the  Catholic  Religion, 
Magellan  said  :         " 

"You  must  not  accept  our  Faith  from  any  fear 
of  us,  or  in  order  to  please  us.  If  you  wish  to  be- 
come Christians,  you  must  do  so  willingly.  No 
Jjarm  will  be  done  ygy  if  ^ou  do  not  embrace  our 


I 


Fernando  Magellan, 


n 


chi- 
icir 

fear 
be- 
No 
our 


religion;  but  those  who  do  will  be  more  loved,  and 
better  treated  than  the  others.  Moreover,  if  you 
become  Christians,  I  will  leave  you  arms,  as  my 
King  ha;;  commanded;  and  then  you  can  defend 
yourselves  from  your  enemies." 

The  day  for  baptism  was  fixed,  and  when  the 
liour  came  the  Admiral,  accompanied  by  the  two  royal 
converts — the  Kings  of  Mazzava  and  Sebu — mounted 
a  platform  prepared  for  the  occasion.  The  dusky 
rulers  were  asked  the  necessary  questions,  and  the 
sacrament  that  made  them  children  of  the  Catholic 
Church  was  administered  with  impressive  ceremonies. 
About  fifty  of  the  chief  men  of  the  island  followed 
their  "xam[)le.  Mass  was  then  celebrated,  and  a 
cro      erected  in  the  centre  of  the  town. 

rlagellan  was  about  to  bid  adieu  to  Sebu  and  its 
ricndly  monarch,  when  he  received  a  startling  item 
of  information.  The  people  of  Matan,  a  neighbor- 
ing island,  headed  by  a  bold  chief,  had  risen  in 
rebellion  against  the  King  of  Sebu  on  account  of  his 
becoming  a  Christian,  and  were  about  to  declare  hos- 
tilities. Magellan  resolved  to  punish  the  heathen 
rebels  himself.  He  landed  at  Matan  with  three 
boats  and  sixtv  veterans:  and  found  fifteen  hundred 
half-naked  warriors  drawn  up  on  a  hill.  The 
Admiral,  through  an  interpreter,  promised  forgive- 
ness to  all  who  would  lay  down  their  arms  and  re- 
turn to  their  allegiance.  He  was  answered  by  yells 
of  defiance. 


\m 


III 


;4 


77«^  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


The  wild  barbarians  rushed  down  on  the  Span- 
iards, but  were  wefl  received  by  tliese  liardy  swords- 
men.  Magellaai  fought  hke  a  lion  at  the  head  of 
his  men.  His  long  sword  made  havoc  in  the  ranks 
of  the  foe  ,  but  it  was  in  vain  that  skill  and  valor 
battled  for  supremacy.  The  contest  was  too  un- 
equal. The  natives  pressed  to  the  fight  in  over 
whelming  numbers;  and,  at  length,  the  Admiral 
fell,  mortally  wounded,  by  a  poisoned  javelin.  This 
misfortune  decided  the  conflict  The  nfuriated 
savages  fell  upon  the  fearless  but  exhausted  dis- 
cr>verer  with  staves  and  clubs  ;  and  he  expired  under 
their  blows,  murmuring  a  prayer  to  God  and  His 
Blessed  Mother,  on  Saturday,  the  17th  of  April,  152 1, 
at  the  age  of  forty-one  years. 

The  name  of  Magellan  is  one  of  the  brightest  in 
the  history  of  discovery.  He  was  a  true  Catholic. 
He  had  the  zeal  of  a  missionary.  He  burned  to 
see  the  Ancient  Faith  extend  its  conquests.  Like 
the  great  discoverer  of  America,  he  observed  the 
.festivals  of  the  Church  in  the  wildest  situations. 
His  character  was  firm,  noble,  generous,  and  enter- 
prising. In  vain  did  disease,  famine,  hardship,  and 
treachery  oppose  him.  Till  surrounded  by  the 
shadow  of  an  untimely  death,  he  triumphed  over 
the  rase  of  man  and  the  furv  of  the  elements.  His 
voyage  was  a  brilliant  achievement  that  threw  a  new 
light  on  the  size  of  the  globe,  and  completed  the 
unfinished  work  of  Columbus.     He  not  only  named 


Fernando  Magellan. 


75 


le 

IS. 


the  Pacific  Ocean  —  that  vast  expanse  of  water 
which  covers  two-fifths  of  the  whole  cartii  — but  was 
the  first  European  to  sail  across  its  briny  bosom. 
He  is  best  known  by  the  stormy  Straits  which  gave 
him  a  passage  around  America. 

"Forever  sacred  to  the  hero's  fame, 
These  foaming  Straits  shall  bear  his  deathless  name." 

The  hfe  of  the  great  pioneer  ended  before  he 
completed  the  circuit  of  the  world,  but  to  him 
belong  the  glory  and  success  of  the  enterprise. 
"Though  an  untimely  fate,"  writes  Robertson 
"deprived  Magellan  of  the  satisfaction  of  accom- 
plishing this  great  undertaking,  his  contemporaries, 
just  to  his  memory  and  talents,  ascribed  to  him  not 
only  the  honor  of  having  formed  the  plan,  but  of 
having  surmounted  almost  every  obstacle  to  the 
completion  of  it  ;  and  in  the  present  age,  hi>,  n.^nie 
is  still  ranked  among  the  highest  in  the  role  nf 
eminent  and   successful  navigators."  ' 


i 


1  bee  the  life  uf  Elcaao  fur  uu  iiccouut  uf  Uie  vuyiige  after  Magcllau  s  deatU. 


'er 
is 

;w 
le 


■.VS 


76 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


Spain. 


JOHN  SEBASTIAN  ELCANO, 

ONE  OF  THE   COMPANIONS  OF  MAGELLAN,  AND  COMMA NDE/i 
OF  THE  Sllir  VICTORIA— THE  ONLY  ONE  OF  THE  SQUAD- 
RON  THAT   COMPLETED    THE    FIRST   lOVAGE 
AROUND  THE  IVORLD. 

Died  A.  D,  1526. 

OIIN  SEBASTIAN  ELCANO  was  born 
towards  tlic  close  of  the  fifteenth  century, 
at  Guetaria,  a  little  village  in  the  north  of 
He  became  a  skilled  navigator  by  years  of 
study  and  experience,  and  sailed  as  pilot  with  Ma- 
gellan in  his  famous  voyage. 

The  general  confidence  in  his  prudence,  bravery^ 
and  abil'ty  was  fitly  recognized  after  the  Admiral's 
death  at  Matan,.and  the  treacherous  massacre  of 
Barbosa,  Serrano,  and  other  oflficers  by  the  apostate 
King  of  Sebu.  Elcano  succeeded  to  the  command 
of  the  Victoria. 

It  was  jesolved,  with  the  two  ships  that  now  re- 
mained, to  continue  the  course  laid  down  by  Magel- 
lan. After  visiting  some  of  the  smaller  islands, 
the  voyagers  touched  at  the  great  island  of  Borneo, 
where  they  were  well  received.  Two  richly  ca- 
parisoned elephants  bore  a  number  of  the  Spanish 


JoJin  Sebastian  Elcano. 


77 


officers  from  the  wharf  to  the  Kiiij^'s  pahice.  Tliey 
were  treated  to  cloves  and  cinnamon,  and  ate  rice 
with  gold  spoons. 

The  Spaniards,  learning,  however,  that  they  had 
left  the  celebrated  Molucca,  or  Spice  Islands,'  a 
distance  behind  them,  retraced  their  steps,  and, 
after  some  dangerous  navigation,  reached  Tidorc, 
one  of  the  largest  of  the  islands.  Forests  of  clove 
and  nutmeg  trees  met  the  eye  in  this  favored 
region,  and  the  air  was  balmy  with  delicious  odors. 

The  appearance  of  the  newcomers  was  the 
astonishment  of  the  Portugue  ;e  traders,  '  *  who  could 
not  comprehend  how  the  Spaniards,  by  holding  a 
westerly  course,  had  arrived  at  that  sequestered 
seat  of  their  most  valuable  commerce,  which  they 
themselves  had  discovered  by  sailing  in  an  opposite 
direction." 

A  cargo  of  spices  was  taken  in ;  but,  at  the 
moment  of  sailing  for  Europe,  the  Trinity  sprang  a 
leak.  It  was  agreed  that  the  Victoria  should  pro- 
ceed alone.  Elcano  directed  the  prow  of  his  ship 
homewards,  coasted  the  southern  shores  of  Java 
and  Sumatra,  and  soon  found  himself  ploughing 
the  waters  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  He  rounded  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  a  terrible  storm,  atul  after 
many  exciting  adventures,  and  months  of  weary 
sailing,    suffering,    and     disaster,    the    tempest-tost 


•  These  islands  lie  east  of  Borneo,  from  which  they  are  separated  by  Macassai 
Strait  and  the  island  of  Celebes.    See  a  map, 


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The  Catholic  Pioreers  of  America. 


U 


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II 


Victoria  entered  the  harbor  San  Lucar  on  the  6th 
of  September,  1522,  having  completed  the  circuit 
of  the  globe  in  a  little  less  than  three  years. 

The  first  act  of  the  brave  Elcano,  on  landing,  was 
to  form  his  diminished,  weather-beaten  crew  in  line, 
and  proceed  to  tiie  nearest  church ,  and  there,  on 
liieir  kntes  before  the  altar,  these  veteran  Catholic 
pioneers  who  first  sailed  around  the  world  sang  the 
Te  Deiim  in  thanksgiving  to  Heaven  for  their  safe 
arrival  home. 

The  news  of  vhe  Victoria  s  arrival  made  a  great 
sensation  in  Spain,  and  soon  spread  over  Europe. 
Charles  V.  inx?led  Elcano  and  his  comrades  to  the 
Court  at  VaIi«<dolid,  and  gave  them  a  splendid  re- 
ception. The  gallant  captain  recounted  the  thrill 
ing  story  of  the  voyage  to  the  Emperor.  Each  of 
the  survivors  received  a  handsome  reward,  and  a 
life  pension  of  five  hundred  ducats  was  conferred  on 
Elcano.  The  Emperor  could  not  ennoble  him, 
every  Biscajan  being  by  birth  a  hidalgo,  or  noble- 
man ;  but  he  gave  him  a  new  coat-of  arms,  which 
displayed  on  its  shield  some  golden  cloves  and  nut- 
megs and  a  globe  with  the  significant  motto : 
Primus  circumdedisti  me — "  You  were  the  first  to 
sail  around  me." 

While  this  memorable  voyage  was  a  brilliant 
practical  demonstration  of  the  globular  form  of  the 
earth,  it  also  added  another  new  and  valuable  fact 
to  the  sum  of  human  knowledge.     "A  strange  thing 


:'!! 


John  Sebastian  Eicano. 


79 


happened,"  writes  Towlc,  '  when  the  V^ictoria  ar- 
rived at  Seville,  which  at  first  puzzled  Eicano  very 
much.  According  to  his  reckonings,  which  he  had 
carefully  kept  every  day  from  the  starting  of  the 
expedition,  the  date  of  his  arrival  was  the  5th  of 
September.  But  on  talking  with  the  people  of 
Seville,  he  found  that,  with  them,  it  was  the  6tii. 
During  the  voyage,  therefore,   he  had    lost  a  day. 

*•  How  could  this  have  happened  ?  He  knew  that 
he  had  kept  his  calendar  correctly,  and  had  never 
omitted  to  score  each  twenty  four  hours;  and  yet, 
undoubtedly,  it  was  the  6th,  and  not  the  5th,  on 
which  he  had  reached  Seville. 

"The  Emperor  submitted  this  problem  to  a 
famous  astronomer,  Contarini,  who,  after  studying  it, 
discovered  the  clue.  He  showed  that  the  loss  of  a 
day  was  the  natural  result  of  the  voyage  from  eas{  to 
west,  in  which  they  kept  company  with  the  sun  . 
and  that,  if  they  had  gone  the  other  way,  from 
west  to  east,  they  would  have  gained  a  day.  This 
was  one  of  the  most  valuable  facts  ascertained  by 
Magellan's  expedition." 

Eicano  died  at  sea,  during  another  voyage,  on 
the  14th  of  August,  1526.  A  famous  navigator,  he 
was  noted  for  piety,  prudence,  bravery,  energy  of 
character,  and  keen  powers  of  observation.  He  was 
a  true  Catholic  Pioneer  of  science  and  discovery. 


8o 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


V 


V  1.' 

!<      B  i 


ii 


JOHN   DA  VERRAZANO, 

J)ISCOl'ERER  OF  THE  ATLANTIC  STA  TES  OF  THIS  REPUBLIC. 
Dale  oj  dmth  is  unknoxvu. 

lOHN  DA  VERRAZANO  was  born  near 
Florence,  Italy,  about  the  year  1485.  He 
belonged  to  an  ancient  family,  his  parents 
being  Bernard  da  Verrazano  and  Fiametta  Capella. 
Little  is  known  of  his  early  life.  It  is  stated  that 
he  resided,  as  a  merchant,  for  several  years  in  Egypt 
and  Syria.  He  next  turned  his  attention  to  the 
s^a  :  and,  in  1517,  wefind  him  pushing  his  fortune 
in  the  East  Indies. 

A  few  years  later,  Verrazano  entered  the  service 
of  France,  and  became  famous  as  a  privateer.  He 
played  the  mischief  among  Spanish  vessels  coming 
home  freighted  with  the  golden  treasures  of  Mexico. 
Old  Hernal  Diaz  complains  that  he  pillaged  "a  ship 
coming  from  the  island  of  San  Domingo  and  took 
from  it  twenty  thousand  pesos  of  gold,  and  a  great 
quantity  of  pearls  and  sugar  and  ox  hides  ;  and  with 
all  this  he  returned  to  France  very  rich,  and  made 
great  presents  to  his  King,  and  to  the  Admiral  of 
France,  of  the  articles  and  pieces  of  gold  which  we 


John  Da  Verrazanoc 


81 


brought  from  New  Spain,  so  that  all  France  was 
marvelling  at  the  riches  which  we  sent  to  our  great 
Emperor.' 

"  The  desire  took  the  said  King  of  France  also  to 
own  a  part  of  the  islands  of  New  Spain,  and  he  said 
at  the  time,  that  with  the  gold  only  that  was  going 
to  our  CiEsar  from  those  lands,  he  could  wage  war 
with  his  France,  and  although  at  that  time  Peru  was 
not  known  or  conquered,  but,  as  I    said,  he  only 
had  that   from  New  Spain,  and  the  islands  of  San 
Domingo  and   Cuba  and  Jamaica.     It  is  told  that 
afterwards  the  King  of   France  said,  or  sent  a  mes- 
sage to  oi'r  great  Emperor,  that  as  he  and  the  King 
of  Portugal  had    divided  the  world  without  giving 
him  a  portion  of  it,  that  they  should  show  to  him 
the  will  of  Father  Adam,  whether  they  were  named 
as  his  sole  heirs,  and  lords  of  those  lands  which 
they  had  taken  between  them,  without  giving  him 
any,  and  that  for   that  reason  it  was  lawful  to  rob 
and  take  all  that  he  could  on  the  seas." 

Early  in  1524,  Verrazano  set  out  on  his  voyage  ol 
discovery  to  the  New  World.  He  bore  away 
towards  the  west,  in  a  vessel  called  ihc  Dolphin,  and 
in  seven  weeks  neared  a  low  shore  not  far  from  the 
site  of  Wilmington  in  North  Carolina — '*  a  new 
land,"  wrote  the  voyager,  '*  never  before  seen  by 
ancient  or  modern." 

*'  Ordering  a  boat  to  land,"  continues  Verrazano, 


'  Charles  V. 


82 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


\  i| 


i<^ 


i>.  I' 


'*  we  saw  a  number  of  people,  who  came  to  the 
shore  of  the  sea,  and  who  fled  as  we  approached, 
sometimes  stopping  and  turning  around,  gazing  with 
much  admiration  but  reassuring  them  with  various 
signs,  some  of  them  came  near,  showing  great 
pleasure  on  looking  at  th*;  wonders  of  our  dress  and 
figure  and  white  complexions,  making  many  signals 
as  to  where  the  boat  could  most  easily  land,  and 
offering  us  their  food." 

He  coasted  along  towards  the  north,  landing  here 
and  there,  until  he  came  to  the  fine  bay  of  New 
York,  where  he  found  "  an  outstretched  country 
rising  somewhat  above  the  sandy  shore  in  beautiful 
fi':lds  and  broad  plains,  covered  with  immense  forests 
of  trees  more  or  less  dense,  too  various  in  colors  and 
too  delightful  and  charming  in  appearance  to  be 
described." 

•'Rowing  up  in  his  boat  through  the  Narrows^ 
under  the  steep  heights  of  Staten  Island,  he  saw  the 
harbor  withm  dotted  with  canoes  of  the  feathered 
natives,  coming  from  the  shore  to  welcome  him. 
But  what  most  engaged  the  eyes  of  the  white  man 
ivas  the  fancied  signs  of  mineral  wealth  in  the 
neighboring  hills.  "  No  prophetic  vision,  it  seems, 
enabled  Verrazano  to  peer  into  the  future,  and  get 
a  glimpse  at  New  York  and  Brooklyn— those  queenly 
Cities  of  the  sea  whose  intimate  relations  are  well 
symbolized  by  the  cpstly  and  splendid  bridge  that 
unites  them  together. 


•  Parkmhn 


John  Da  Verrajsano, 


83 


"  Following  the  shores  of  Long  Island,  writes 
Parkman,  '*  they  came  to  Block  Island,  and  thence  to 
the  harbor  of  Newport.  Here  they  stayed  fifteen 
days,  most  courteously  received  by  the  inhabitants. 
Among  others  appeared  two  chiefs,  gorgeously  ar- 
rayed in  painted  deer-skins — kings,  as  Verrazano 
calls  them,  with  attendant  gentlemen  ;  while  a  party 
of  squaws  in  a  canoe,  kept  by  their  jealous  lords  at 
a  safe  distance  from  the  caravel,  figure  in  the  narra- 
tive as  the  queen  and  her  maids.  The  Indian 
wardrobe  had  heen  taxed  to  its  utmost  to  do  the 
strangers  honor — copper  bracelets,  and  wampum 
collars,  lynx  skins,  raccoon  skins,  and  faces  badaubed 
with  gaudy  colors." 

Verrazano  pushed  along  the  rugged  coast  of  New 
England,  and  continued  his  voyage  as  far  north  as 
Newfoundland,  where  want  of  provisions  obliged 
him  to  sail  for  France.  On  arriving  at  Dieppe,  he 
wrote  to  the  French  monarch  a  letter  dated  the  8th 
of  July,  1 524  It  is  a  short  sketchy  report  of  his  dis- 
coveries and  explorations. 

The  news  of  his  arrival  was  hailed  with  joy,  and 
Sfave  rise  to  great  hopes  that  were  never  realize*^ 
Verrazano  himself  was  desirous  "  to  return,  plant  a 
colony,  and  bring  the  heathen  tribes  within  the  pale 
of  the  Church.'  He  offered  to  Francis  I.  a  vast 
country  in  a  temperate  climate,  on  which  France 
mi^ht  well  have  concentrated  her  active  enterprise, 
and  which  would  have  repaid  her  a  hundredfold 


84 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


as  a  colony,  and  a  school  for  her  maritime  forces. 
But  the  times  were  unfavorable.  The  treachery  of 
Bourbon,  the  death  of  the  heroic  Bayard,  and  thi 
fatal  field  ol  Pavia  soon  brought  la  belle  FranC( 
nearer  annihilation  than  during  the  recent  struggli 
with  Germany,  and  all  thought  of  colonization 
beyond  the  seas  was  out  of  the  question.' 

We  now  lose  sight  of  the  bold  explorer  himself. 
He  was  alive  in  1526,  but  after  that  his  figure  dis- 
appears from  history.  He  is  one  of  the  Catholic 
Pioneers  of  America  whose  glory  and  services  have 
been  unjustly  obscured.  His  letter  from  Dieppe  to 
the  King  of  France  is  "  the  earliest  description 
known  to  exist  of  the  shores  of  the  United  States.*' 
"  Verrazano,"  says  Brevoort,  *'  was  the  first  one  that 
we  know  to  have  sailed  along  our  coast,  and  his 
name  deserves  to  be  attached  to  some  prominent 
point  of  it.' 


»» t 


•  Brevoon. 

*  A  map  of  the  world,  drawn  in  isag  by  Jerome  da  Verrazano,  a  brother  of 
John,  was  discovered  in  the  library  of  the  College  of  the  Propaganda  at  Rome, 
in  1832.  On  this  map.  South  America  is  marked  Terra  America,  our  Atlantic 
States  are  named  ^Cova  Galiioi  sad  ihe  UuU  States  have  the  uncomplunentarf 
title  of  Ttrra  Incognita* 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


85 


JAMES  MENDEZ, 

ONE  OF  THE  FAITHirL  COMPASIOSS  OF  COLUMBUS. 
Died  A.  D.  1536. 

|MONG  the  most  distinguished  of  those  who 
followed  the  fortunes  of  Columbus  was 
Ijames  Mendez,abrave  and  faithful  Spaniard. 
His  devoted  services  during  the  disasters  of  the 
great  Admiral's  last  voyage  are  worthy  of  admira- 
tion.    He  was  Chief  Notary  of  the  expedition. 

On  one  occasion,  while  the  ships  were  on  the 
coast  of  Veragua,  Mendez  discovered  the  treachery 
of  an  Indian  chief  by  boldly  penetrating  to  his  resi- 
dence on  the  crest  of  a  hill,  which  was  hideously 
ornamented  with  three  hundred  posts  capped  by  a 
like  number  of  grinning  skulls,  taken  from  enemies 
slain  in  battle.  The  Admiral  was  thus  forewarned, 
and  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus  with  seventy-four 
men  took  the  chief  prisoner,  and  intended  to  hold 
him  as  a  hostage.  It  was  night  when  the  Spaniards 
reached  the  coast  on  their  return.  As  they  were  row- 
ing towards  the  ships,  the  w  ily  savage,  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  darkness,  and  the  carelessness  of  his 
captors,  plunged  into  the  water  like  a  frog,  and  dis- 


n  i 


86 


7/u'  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  America, 


■ 


1 1 


i«l: 


appeared.     He  reached  the  shore  and  soon  proved 
an  open  and  bitter  enemy. 

But  the  misfortunes  of  the  voyage  were  completed 
when  Columbus  was  obliged  to  run  his  crazy,  sinking 
vessels  aground  m  a  beautiful  bay  on  the  coast  of 
Jamaica.  This  was  on  the  24th  of  June.  1503.  It 
was  necessary,  however,  to  make  the  best  of  the 
situation.  Thatched  cabins  were  built  at  the  prow 
and  stern  for  the  accomodation  of  the  crews,  and 
the  wreck  was  placed  in  the  best  possible  state  of 
defence. 

Thus  castled  in  the  sea,  the  Admiral  trusted  to  be 
able  to  repel  any  sudden  attack  of  the  natives,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  keep  his  men  from  roviii^j  about 
the  neighborhood  and  indulging  in  their  usual  ex 
cesses.  No  one  was  allowed  to  go  ashore  with- 
out especial  permit,  and  the  utmost  precaution  was 
taken  to  prevent  any  offence  being  given  to  the 
Indians.' 

Provisions  were  soon  required,  and  as  usual  the 
brave  Mendez  proved  his  tact  and  usefulness.  He 
went  among  the  savages,  far  and  near  :  and  by  his 
kindly,  winning  manners  gained  the  friendshipof  the 
chiefs.  He  established  a  regular  system  of  supplies 
at  fixed  prices.  He  bought  an  excellent  canoe  from 
a  chief  at  the  extremity  of  the  island,  and  paddled 
his  way  back  along  the  wild  coast.  He  was  cheered 
by  liis  companions  on  his  arrival,  and  the  Admiral 

'  Irving. 


James  Mindez, 


•r 


received  him  with  open  arms.     For  the  present,  at 
least,  there  was  no  danger  of  famine. 

But  how  was  Columbus  to  obtain  aid  from  His- 
paniola  ?'  He  was  wrecked  on  a  savage  island  in  a 
sea  seldom  visited.  Jamaica  is  separated  from  His- 
paniola  by  a  stormy  gulf  over  forty  leagues  wide. 
There  was  no  ship  at  hand— nothing  larger  than  a 
canoe  Who  would  undertake  the  perilous  voyage 
in  such  a  frail  craft?  During  nine  days  this  cost 
Columbus  many  an  anxiour  thought.  He  finally 
sent  for  Mendez,  when  the  following  conversation 
occurred. 

'  James  Mendez,  my  son,"  said  the  venerable 
Admiral,  none  of  those  who  are  here  understand 
the  great  danger  in  which  we  are  placed,  except 
you  and  myself.  We  are  few  in  number,  and  those 
savage  Indians  are  many,  and  ot  fickle  and  irritable 
natures  On  the  least  provocation  they  could 
throw  firebrands  from  the  shore,  and  >'v5nsume  us  in 
our  straw-thatched  cabins.  The  arrangement  which 
you  have  made  with  them  tor  provisions,  and 
which  at  present  they  fulfil  so  cheerfully,  to-morrow 
they  may  break  in  their  caprice,  and  may  refuse  to 
bring  us  anything,  nor  have  we  the  means  to  com 
pel  them  by  force,  but  are  left  entirely  at  their 
pleasure 

"  I   have  thought  of  a  remedy,  if  It  meets  with 
your  views.  In  the  canoe  which  you  have  purchaseu 

»  Hayti 


If 


tm 


il 


f§ 


I, 


88 


7/te  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


some  one  may  venture  pass  over  to  Hispaniola,  and 
procure  a  ship  by  which  we  may  all  be  relieved  from 
this  perilous  situation  in  which  we  are  placed.  Tell 
mc  your  opinion  on  the  matter." 

"  Scnor,"  replied  Mendcz,  "the  danger  in  which 
\vc  are  placed,  1  know  well,  is  far  greater  than  is 
imagined.  As  to  passing  from  this  island  to  His. 
j.aniola  in  so  small  a  vessel  as  a  canoe,  I  hold  it  not 
only  difficult  but  impossible,  since  it  is  necessary 
to  traverse  a  gulf  of  forty  leagues,  and  between 
islands  where  the  sea  is  extremely  rough  and  seldom 
in  repose.  I  know  nobody  who  would  venture  to 
undertake  such  a  perilous  vo\n!:;e. ' 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence  Columbus  made 
no  answer,  bjcuuse  there  was  nothing  to  object.  It 
was  not  a  question  of  reasoning,  but  one  of  sacrifice, 
ilis  looks  and  manner,  however,  told  Mendez  that 
it  was  proper  for  him — a  man  of  faith  and  courage, 
who  had  so  often  experienced  the  protection  of 
God — to  offer  himself  once  more  for  the  safety  of 
his  companions. 

Mendez  understood  this  mute  language,  and  after 
r,  little  thought  said  he  would  go,  if  the  Admiral,  on 
c.iUingthe  crews  together  and  explaining  the  matter, 
could  fiiul  no  one  who  would  offer  himself  for  such 
a  dangerous  enterprise.  "  If  all  decline  it,"  he  said, 
"  I  will  then  come  forward  and  risk  my  life  in  your 
service,  as  I  many  times  have  done." 

Next  day  the  officers  and  crews  were  assembled. 


James  Men  ties. 


<9 


The  Admiral  explained  the  situation  to  them,  and 
proposed  sending  a  canoe  to  llispaniola.  Hut  all 
held  their  breath  in  astonishment.  All  drew  jack 
and   declared   it  the   height  of    folly  and    rashnc<^. 

Then  Mendez  arose  and  said  ;  "  Senor,  1  have  but 
one  life  to  lose,  yet  1  am  willing  to  venture  it  for 
your  service,  and  for  the  good  of  all  here  present; 
and  I  hope  in  the  protection  of  God,  which  I  have 
experienced  on  so  many  other  '  ccasions.*  The 
Admiral  embraced  the  intrepid  ctficer,  saying  :  "I 
knew  well  there  was  nobody  biu  yourself  n  iio  would 
undertake  this  achievement  " 

Mendez  got  his  cano^  in  rcaflincss,  and  took  in 
provisions.  His  courage  exciterl  a  noble  emulation. 
Bartholomew  Ficschi,  one  of  the  captains,  of!"  M'cd  to 
accompany  him  to  Hispanio'a,  and  another  canoe 
was  soon  properly  equipped.  Each  canoe  contained 
six  Spaniards  and  six  Indians.  Mcndrz  was  to 
carry  a  letter  to  the  Governor  of  llispaniola,  and 
then,  having  sent  a  well-provisioned  vessel  to  Ja- 
maica, he  was  to  embark  for  Spain  with  a  letter 
from  the  Admiral  to  the  Sovereigns.  Don  Bar- 
tholomew Columbus,  with  an  armed  band,  marched 
along  the  shore,  keeping  company  with  the  two 
canoes,  till  they  reached  the  east  end  of  the  island. 

It  was  now  the  perilous  voyage  commenced. 
Tl'.ere  was  no  wind,  the  sky  was  without  a  cloud, 
and  the  sea  like  a  mirror  reflecting  the  burning  rays 
of  the  sun.     The   Indians  who  paddled  the  canoes 


I   i] 


90 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  A  mcrica. 


would  often  leap  into  th  :  water  to  cool  their 
glowing  bodies  and  refresh  themselves  from  their  toil. 
At  the  ;];oing  down  of  the  sun,  Mendez  and  his 
men  lost  sight  of  land.  During  the  night  the 
Indians  took  turns,  one-half  to  row  while  the  others 
slept.  The  Spaniards,  in  like  manner,  divided  their 
forces  ,  while  some  took  repose,  the  others  sat  with 
their  weapons  in  their  hands,  ready  to  defend  them- 
selves in  case  of  any  perfidy  on  the  part  of  their 
savage  companions. 

Watching  and  toiling  in  this  way  through  the 
night,  they  were  excessively  fatigued  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  and  began  to  experience  the  torments  of 
thirst,  for  the  Indians,  parched  with  heat,  had 
already  drained  the  contents  of  their  calabashes.  In 
proportion  as  the  sun  rose,  their  misery  increased, 
and  was  irritated  by  the  dreary  prospect  around 
them — nothing  but  water,  while  they  were  perishing 
with  thirst. 

About  midday,  when  their  strength  was  failing 
them,  the  commanders  produced  two  small  kegs  of 
water,  which  they  had  reserved  in  secret  for  such  an 
extremity.  Administering  a  cooling  mouthful  oc- 
casionally, they  enabled  the  Indians  to  resume  theiv 
toils.  They  held  out  the  hopes  of  soon  arriving  at 
a  small  island,  called  Navasa,  which  lay  directly  in 
their  way,  about  eight  leagues  distant  from  His- 
paniola.  Here  they  would  find  water  to  assuage 
their  thirst,  and  would  be  able  to  take  repose. 


James  Mendez. 


91 


But  night  closed  upon  tlieni  without  any  sight  of 
the  ishind  ;  tliey  feared  that  they  had  deviated  from 
their  course  ;  if  so,  they  should  miss  the  island 
entirely,  and  perish  witii  thirst  before  they  could 
reach  Hispaniola.  One  of  the  Indians  died  of  the 
accumulated  sufferings  of  labor,  heat,  and  raging 
thirst  ,  others  lay  panting  and  gasping  at  the  bottom 
of  the  canoes.  Their  companions  were  scared)' able 
to  continue  their  toils.  Sometimes  they  endeavored 
to  cool  their  parched  palates  by  taking  sea  water  in 
their  mouths,  but  its  briny  bitterness  only  increased 
their    thirst.     One    after    another 


gave 


up. 


and 


it  seemed  impossible  that  they  should  live  to  reach 
Hispaniola. 

The  noble  Mendez,  by  admirable  management, 
had  hitherto  kept  up  this  weary  struggle  with 
suffering  and  despair  ;  and  now  he  alone,  trusting  in 
God,  preserved  some  hope.  He  sat  watching  the 
horizon,  which  was  gradually  lighting  up  with  those 
faint  rays  which  precede  the  rising  of  the  moon. 
As  that  planet  came  into  view,  he  perceived  it  to 
emerge  from  behind  a  dark  mass,  which  proved  to 
be  the  island  of  Navasa,  but  so  low,  and  small,  and 
distant,  that,  had  it  not  been  thus  revealed  by  the 
rising  moon,  he  would  never  have  discovered  it.  He 
immediately  gave  the  animated  cry  of  "  land."  His 
almost  expiring  companions  were  roused  to  new 
life,  and  exerted  themselves  with  feverish  impatience. 

By   dawn  of   day,  Mendez   and   his   companions 


92 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


'1 


III 


sprang  on  shore,  and  returned  thanks  to  God  for 
their  deliverance.  The  island  was  a  mere  barren 
mass  of  rocks,  but  they  found  abundance  of  rain- 
water in  hollow  places.  The  Spaniards  exe.cised 
some  degree  of  caution  in  their  draughts ;  but  the 
poor  Indians,  whose  toils  had  increased  the  fever  ol 
their  thiist,  gave  way  to  a  kind  of  frantic  indulgence 
of  which  several  died  upon  the  spot,  and  others  fell 
dangerously  ill. 

After  reposing  for  some  hours,  and  feasting  on 
shell-fish  gathered  along  the  rocky  shore,  the  hardy 
voyagers  set  out  for  Hispaniola,  the  mountains  of 
which  were  distinctly  visible  ;  and  after  rowing  all 
night,  they  pulled  their  canoes  on  the  banks  of 
a  beautiful  river,  where  they  were  kindly  received 
by  the  natives.  It  was  three  days  and  three  nights 
since  their  departure  from  Jamaica. 

Parting  with  his  companions,  Mendez  took  six 
Indians  of  the  island,  and  set  off  for  the  city  of  San 
Bomingo.  After  proceeding  for  eighty  leagues 
against  the  currents,  he  was  informed  that  the 
Governor  had  departed  for  Xaragua.  fifty  leagues 
distant.  Still  undaunted  by  fatigues  and  difficulties, 
he  abandoned  the  canoe,  and  proceeded  alone,  on 
foot,  through  forests  and  over  mountains,  until  he 
arrived  at  Xaragua,  achieving  one  of  the  most  peril 
ous  expeditions  ever  undertaken  by  a  devoted  fol- 
lower for  the  safety  of  his  commander. 

He  found  Ovando  completely  engrossed  by  wars 


James  Mendez. 


93 


with  the  natives.  The  Governor  expressed  great 
concern  at  the  unfortunate  situation  of  Columbus, 
and  promised  to  send  him  immediate  relief;  but 
Mendez  remained  for  seven  months  at  Xaragua, 
vainly  urging  for  that  relief,  or  for  permission  to  go 
to  San  Domingo  in  quest  of  it.  The  constant  ex- 
cuse of  the  hypocritical  Ovando  was,  that  there 
were  not  ships  of  sufificient  burden  in  the  island  to 
bring  off  Columbus  and  his  crews. 

At  length,  by  daily  importunity,  Mendez  obtained 
permission  to  go  to  San  Domingo,  and  await  the 
arrival  of  certain  ships  which  were  expected.  He 
set  out  on  foot.  The  distance  was  seventy  league?, 
and  part  of  his  toilsome  journey  lay  through  forests 
and  mountains,  infested  by  hostile  and  exasperated 
savages.  He  reached  the  seaport  in  safety,  and  at 
once  hired  and  provisioned  a  vessel,  wiiich  hastened 
to  the  relief  of  the  Admiral.'  Having  carefully  dis- 
charged this  part  of  his  mission,  the  fearless  Mendez 
sailed  for  Spain,  bearing  the  letter  of  Columbus  to 
the  Sovereigns.* 

He  was  kindly  received  by  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  who  bestowed  rewards  upon  him,  and 
ordered  a  canoe  to  be  added  to  his  coatof-arms. 
He  continued  in  the  service  of  Columbus.  He  stood 
by  the  death-bed  of  the  great  Admiral,  and  saw  his 


'  Wlifii  this  vessel,  accotnpanieil  by  another  fruir  Governor  Ovamlo  reached 
Columbus,  the  venerable  discoverer  had  been  inoi-,-  than  a  year  perched  on  the 
wreck  at  Jamaica. 

'Irving,  from  whom  the  foregoing  account  of  the  voyage  is  abridged. 


m 

i 


94 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioturrs  of  America. 


"n^ 


eyes  close  upon  this  world.  The  faithful  pioneer 
afterwards  fitted  out  vessels  at  his  own  expense, 
and  sailed  on  several  voyages  of  discovery.  He  died 
piously  in  1536,  and  ordered  that  the  follow- 
ing words  should  be  engraved  on  his  tombstone, 
which  was  to  be  ornamented  with  the  figure  of  a 
canoe : 

*'  Here  lies  the  honorable  Cavalier  James  Mendez, 
who  greatly  served  the  royal  Crown  of  Spain,  in  the 
conquest  of  the  Indies,  with  the  Admiral  Don 
Christopher  Columbus,  of  glorious  memory,  who 
made  the  discovery  ;  and  afterwards  by  himself,  with 
ships  at  his  own  cost  .  .  .  Bestow  in  charity  a 
Pater  Noster  and  an  Ave  Maria." 

The  wonderful  journey  of  James  Mendez  from 
Jamaica  to  Hispaniola,  in  which  he  proved  himself 
the  first  and  greatest  letter-carrier  of  the  New 
World,  and  the  rescuer  of  Columbus,  has  long  given 
him  a  well-merited  place  in  early  American  history. 
"The  Spaniards,"  says  De  Lorgues,  "considered, 
this  prodigious  voyage,  effected  in  three  days  and 
three  nights,  as  marvellous  as  the  preservation  of 
the  prophet  Jonas  during  the  same  length  of  time 
in  the  belly  of  the  whale." 

This  faithful  and  heroic  Catholic  mariner  of  nearly 
four  centuries  ago  had  a  small  library  which  he  car- 
ried with  him  in  all  his  wanderin^js.  Among  his 
well-thumbed  volumes  were.  "The  History  of  the 
Jews,"  by  Josephiis ;   "  Moral  Philosophy,"  by  Aris- 


Hernando  Cortes. 


95 


totlc  ;  "  The  Art  of  Holy  Dyini^,"  by  Erasmus  ;  "  The 
Book  of  the  Holy  Land,"  and  "  The  Contemplation 
of  the  Passion  of  our  Saviour." 


HERNANDO  CORTfiS, 

THE  CONQUEROR  OF M EXICO^  A X D  DISCOVERER  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Vied  A.  D.  1547. 

AMONG  the  crowd  that  greeted  Columbus  at 
the  wharf  of  San  Domingo,  after  his  escape, 
on  his  last  voyage,  from  the  wreck  at  Jamaica, 
might  be  noticed  a  handsome,  well-educated  young 
man  of  distinguished  bearing,  who  seemed  to  take 
an  unusual  interest  in  the  venerable  discoverer. 
This  was  Hernando  Cortes,  who  had  lately  arrived 
in  Hispaniola. 

He  was  born  in  1485,  at  Medellin,  a  little  town  in 
Spain.  His  parents,  Don  Martin  Cortes  and  Dona 
Catherine  Pizarro,  belonged  to  ancient  families,  and 
were  persons  of  worth,  virtue,  and  distinction. 
Hernando  was  educated  for  the  law,  and  spent  two 
years  at  the  University  of  Salamanca  ;  but  his 
daring  nature  inclined  him  to  a  life  of  adventure, 
and  he  afterwards  adopted  the  profession  of  arms. 
In  1504,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  received  some 
money  and  the  tender  blessing  of  his  father  and  mo- 


;i 


96 


TJie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  mcrica. 


1:! 


P 


e 
I'    '\ 


m 


ther,  and  sailed  in  an  expedition  to  the  New  Worlds 
On  arriving  at  Hispaniola,  young  Cortes  was  well 
received  by  his  kinsman,  Governor  Ovando,  who 
employed  him  in  helping  to  put  down  a  rebellion 
among  the  Indians.  It  was  here  he  gained  his  first 
experience  in  savage  warfare.  When,  in  151 1, 
Velasquez  undertook  to  subdue  and  colonize  Cuba, 
Cortes  joined  the  enterprise,  and  so  distinguished 
himself  that  he  received  a  handsome  reward  for  his 
services  in  large  grants  of  lands  and  Indians. 

Cortes  now  settled  down  in  Cuba,  lived  on  his 
estate,  devoted  himself  to  agriculture,  was  appointed 
a  magistrate,  and  married  a  beautiful  lady  nimed 
Dona  Catherine  Juarez.  Time  had  moulded,  ripened, 
and  improved  his  restless  character.  Good  temper 
and  soldierly  frankness  were  now  accompanied  by 
calm  prudence  in  concerting  his  schemes,  by  per- 
severing vigor  in  executing  them,  and  by  what  is  a 
peculiar  gift  of  superior  genius — the  art  of  gaining 
the  confidence  and  governing  the  minds  of  men. 

To  all  these  were  added  the  smaller  accomplish- 
ments  that  strike  the  vulgar,  and  command  their 
respect — a  graceful  person,  a  winning  countenance, 
remarkable  skill  in  warlike  exercises,  and  a  constitu- 
tion of  such  iron  vigor  as  to  be  capable  of  enduring 
any  fatigue.  Such  was  Cortes  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
three,  when  he  was  selected  by  Governor  Velasquez 
to  add  the  recently  discovered  empire  of  Mexico  to 
the  provinces  of  Spain. 


Hernando  Cortes. 


97 


.  The  future  conqueror  expressed  his  warm  thanks 
for  the  commission  ;  but  Velasquez  had  no  sooner 
i^ranted  the  document,  tlian  the  whispering  of  evil 
tongues  inclined  him  to  revoke  it.  He  sudden!)- 
grew  jealous.  He  seemed  to  fear  that  iiis  dasliing 
and  sagacious  lieutenant  would  deprive  him  of  ail 
the  glory  of  the  enterprise.  Cortes,  however, 
Tiaintained  his  command  in  defiance  of  the  Governor. 

Never,  perhaps,  was  a  great  enterprise  taken  with 
so  little  regard  for  its  difficulties  and  dangers.  The 
fleet  consisted  of  eleven  small  vessels,  and  six 
hundred  and  seventeen  men.  Only  thirteen  soldiers 
had  muskets.  Thirty-two  were  cross-bowmen,  and 
the  rest  were  armed  with  spears  and  swords.  The 
cavalry  and  artillery  were  summed  up  in  twelve 
horses  and  ten  small  pieces  of  cannon. 

The  chief  banner  of  the  expedition  was  of  black 
velvet,  embroidered  with  gold,  and  emblazoned  with 
a  red  cross  on  black  ground,  sprinkled  with  blue 
and  white  flames,  and  underneath  was  the  motto : 
'•Let  us  follow  the  Cross,  and  in  that  sign  we  shall 
conquer." 

The  fleet  was  placed  under  the  protection  of  St, 
Peter,  the  patron  saint  of  Cortes.  Holy  Mass  was 
celebrated  early  in  the  morning  by  the  chaplain  of 
the  expedition.  Father  Bartholomew  de  Olmedo, 
O.  S.  F.,  and  on  the  l8th  of  February,  15 19,  the 
trumpet  sounded  for  departure,  and  the  armament 
bore  away  towards  Mexico. 


IT 


98 


T/w  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


After  touching  at  the  island  of  Cozumel — where 
he  had  the  good  fortune  to  redeem  Jerome  de 
Aguilar,  a  Spanish  ecclesiastic  who  had  been  eight 
years  a  captive  among  the  Indians,  and  who  after- 
wards proved  extremely  useful  as  an  interpreter — 
Cortes  doubled  Cape  Catoche,  swept  down  the  broad 
"I  Bay  of  Campeachy,  and  cast  anchor  at  the  mouth 
of  the  little  river  Tabasco. 

The  shore  was  lined  with  Indians.  The  General 
asked  permission  to  land,  but  he  was  answered  with 
angry  gestures  and  shouts  of  defiance.  He  disem- 
barked, however,  and  at  once  found  himself  sur- 
rounded  by  crowds  of  enemies.  The  hard-contested 
battle  of  Cintla  was  fought  after  Mass  on  the 
festival  of  the  Annunciation.  Forty  thousand  In- 
dians made  frantic  efforts  to  crush  the  handful  of 
Spaniards,  but  Cortes,  by  a  bold  flank  movement,  at 
the  head  of  the  cavalry,  turned  the  scales  of  victory. 
The  savages  were  completely  routed. 

"  It  was  not  long,"  says  Prescott,  describing  this 
brilliant  charge,  "  before  the  ears  of  the  Christians 
were  saluted  with  the  cheering  war-cry  of  San  Jago 
and  Sa7i  Pedro!  and  they  beheld  the  bright  helmets 
and  swords  of  the  Castilian  chivalry  flashing  back  the 
rays  of  the  morning 'sun,  as  they  dashed  through 
the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  striking  to  the  right  and 
left,  and  scattering  dismay  around  them.  The  eye 
of  faith,  indeed,  could  discern  the  patron  saint  of 
Spain  himself,  mounted  on  his  gray  war-horse,  lead- 


Hernando  Cortes. 


99 


ing  the  rescue,  and  trampling  over  the  bodies  of  the 
fallen  infidels!" 

The  terror  stricken  Tabascans  humbly  submitted, 
acknowledged  the  King  of  Spain  as  their  sovereign, 
made  liberal  presents  to  the  victors,  and  gave  all 
the  information  in  their  power  about  Mexico.  Nor 
did  Cortes  forget  that  the  spread  of  the  Catholic 
Religion  was  one  of  the  first  objects  of  the  expedi 
tion.  He  broke  down  the  idols,  and  set  up  crosses. 
The  priests  instructed  the  Indians,  who  embraced 
tlve  Faith  in  large  numbers.  On  Palm  Sunda}',  there 
was  a  solemn  procession  of  the  whole  army,  "each 
soldier  bearing  a  palm-branch  in  his  hand." 

Next  day  the  Spaniards  returned  to  their  ships, 
and  coasted  along  towards  the  northwest  till  they 
came  to  the  harbor  of  San  Juan  de  Ulloa.  Here 
they  disembarked,  and  were  visited  by  some  Mexi- 
can officers,  with  whom  Cortes  entered  into  negotia- 
tions regarding  a  visit  to  Montezuma,  who  then 
ruled  with  nearly  absolute  sway  over  the  empire  of 
Mexico.  Montezuma  sent  the  Spanish  General 
rich  presents — among  which  were  a  basket  of  gold 
and  silver  ornaments,  some  boxes  filled  with  pearls, 
and  two  large  circular  plates  of  massive  gold,  one 
representing  the  sun  and  the  other  the  moon — but 
objected  to  his  visiting  the  capital. 

Cortes,  however,  resolved  upon  seeing  the  Em- 
peror in  his  capital,  and  was  not  to  be  daunted  by 
opposition.      "  This  is  indeed  a  rich  and  powerful 


% 


■|r 


lOo 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  vicrica. 


prince,  he  remarked  to  his  officers,  "but  it  shall  go 
hard  if  we  do  not  one  day  pay  him  a  visit."  Having 
founded  the  town  of  Vera  Cruz — or  the  True  Cross — 
and  burned  all  his  ships  but  one,  so  that  his  troops 
could  not  return,  and  must  henceforth  conquer  or 
perish,  our  hero,  with  a  force  reduced  to  four  hun- 
dred Spaniards  and  a  considerable  number  of  In- 
dians, lent  him  by  dissatisfied  chiefs  dependent  on 
Montezuma,  prepared  to  march  for  the  city  of 
Mexico.  Before  departing,  he  made  an  address  to 
his  soldiers,  some  of  whom  were  discontented. 

"As  for  me,"  he  said  in  conclusion,  "I  have 
chosen  my  part.  I  will  remain  here  while  there  is 
one  soldier  to  beir  me  company.  If  there  be  any 
so  craven  as  to  shrink  from  sharing  the  dangers  of 
^wx  glorious  enterprise,  let  them  go  home,  in  God's 
'lame.  There  is  still  one  vessel  left.  Let  them 
take  that,  and  return  to  Cuba.  They  can  tell  how 
they  deserted  their  commander  and  their  comrades, 
and  patiently  wait  till  we  return  loaded  with  the 
spoils  of  the  Mexicans." 

This  address  had  a  magical  effect.  Shouts  of 
*'  On  to  Mexico  1"  resounded  through  the  camp,  and 
the  line  of  march  was  begun  on  ihe  i6th  of  August, 
1 5 19.  The  hardy  veterans  scaled  the  table-lands  of 
Mexico  amid  sleet  and  hail,  and  erected  crosses  as 
they  passed  along.  "  The  route  of  the  army,"  says 
Prescott,  "  might  be  tracked  by  these  emblems  of 
man's  salvation." . 


I 


Hernando  Corti^s. 


lOI 


as 


On  coming  to  the  proud  little  republic  of  Tlascala, 
Cortes  requested  permission  to  pass  through  the 
country  on  his  way  to  the  capital  of  Mexico.  lie 
was  refused,  and  had  to  whip  two  large  armies, 
before  the  Tlasca?ans  recognized  his  power  and 
genius,  and  became   lis  friends  and  faithful  allies. 

The  Spanish  General  continued  his  march  with 
his  forces  swelled  by  6,000  Tlascalan  warriors.  He 
next  came  to  the  beautiful  city  of  Cholula,  the  sanc- 
tuary of  the  Mexican  idols.  Here  he  learned  of  a 
bold  plot  to  massacre  his  whole  force,  but,  heading 
off  the  treacherous  barbarians,  he  fell  on  them  like 
a  flash  of  lightning,  in  swift  and  terrible  chastise- 
ment. The  slaughter  lasted  for  two  days.  The 
'lead  bodies  of  six  thousand  Cholulans  filled  the 
:ity  with  terror,  and  carried  dismay  into  the  very 
neart  of  the  empire. 

Thfc  Spaniards  and  their  allies  pressed  on  through 
a  lofty  country  of  picturesque  grandeur.  For  a  few 
leagues  the  way  led  up  the  steep  side  of  a  great  vol- 
canic mountain,  then  in  a  state  of  eruption,  although 
its  fires  are  now  extinguished.  A  dense  forest  for  a 
time  impeded  their  march ;  then,  as  they  ascended, 
vegetation  ceased,  and  they  passed  within  the  line  of 
everlasting  snow.  At  length,  rounding  a  shoulder 
of  the  mountain,  the  great  Valley  of  Mexico,  s-^en 
afar  in  that  clear  air,  spread  itself  before  them  in  all 
its  glory  of  lake  and  city,  of  garden  and  forest,  and 
cultivated  plain.     It  was  a  vision  never  to  be  for- 


''  ii 


m 


lo2 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


gotten.  Cortds  was  received  with  great  pomp  by 
the  Emperor  in  person.  He  was  conducted  to  a 
vast  pahice.  '*  You  are  now,"  said  the  politic 
Mexican  ruler,  **  with  your  brothers  in  your  own 
house.  Refresh  yourself  after  your  fatigue,  and  be 
iiappy  till  I  return." 

Cortes  and  his  companions  entered  the  capital  on 
the  i8lh  of  November,  15 19.  It  has  been  well  said 
that  in  a  time  of  great  festivity,  they  would  have 
formed  but  a  poor  and  mean  sacrifice  to  have  been 
offered  to  the  Mexican  gods.  The  population  of 
the  celebrated  city — then  the  greatest  in  the  New 
World — was  estimated  at  300,000  souls. 

It  was  built  on  islands  in  a  shallow  salt-water  lake, 
and  was  approached  by  three  principal  causeways,  of 
about  thirty  feet  in  breadth,  and  constructed  of 
solid  masonry.  At  the  end  of  these  causeways 
were  \Tooden  draw-bridges,  so  that  in  time  of  war 
communication  could  be  cut  off  between  the  cause- 
ways and  the  city,  which  would  thus  become  a 
citadel.  Tiiere  were  numerous  temples,  and  the 
royal  palaces  were  vast  and  magnificent.  The 
market-place  accommodated  fifty  thousand  people. 

"  Who  shall  describe  Mexico,"  exclaims  Helps — 
"the  Mexico  of  that  age?  It  ought  to  be  one  who 
had  seen  all  the  wonders  of  the  world ;  and  he 
should  have  for  an  audience,  those  who  had  dwelt 
in  Venice  and  Constantinople,  who  had  looked 
down  upon  Granada  from  the  Alhambra,  and  who 


I 


Hernando  Cortes, 


103 


had  studied  all  that  remains  to  be  seen  or  known  of 
the  hundred-gated  Thebes,  of  Babylon,  and  of 
Nineveli." 

The  Spaniards  were  regarded  in  this  land  of 
wealth  and  splendid  barbarism,  as  those  descendants 
of  the  sun,  who,  according  to  a  current  prophecy, 
were  to  come  from  the  east,  and  overthrow  the 
Mexican  empire — a  tradition,  it  seems,  that  was 
worth  a  good  many  soldiers  to  Cortes.  An  attack 
on  the  Spanish  colony  at  Vera  Cruz  by  one  of 
Montezuma's  generals,  however,  proved  that  the 
white  men  were  mortal,  and  would  have  been  the 
ruin  of  them,  but  for  the  bold  decision  of  Cortes, 
who  immediately  seized  the  Emperor,  and  removed 
him  in  silent  pomp  to  the  Spanish  quarters.  "  This," 
says  Helps,  "  is  an  unparalleled  action.  There  is 
nothing  like  it,  I  believe,  in  the  annals  of  the 
world." 

Montezuma's  submission  was  stretched  to  the  ex- 
tent of  making  him  acknowledge  his  allegiance  to  the 
King  of  Spain.  But  the  grand  triumph  of  Cortes, 
and  that  use  of  his  power  for  which  he  has  been 
compared  to  Judas  Maccabeus,  was  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  hideous  Mexican  idols,  the  cleansing  of 
their  foul  temples,  and  the  stern  forbidding  of  any 
more  human  sacrifices. 

The  number  of  victims  immolated  on  the  accursed 
altars  of  Mexico  **  would  stagger  the  faith  of  the 
least    scrupulous    believer.     Scarcely   any    author 


104 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


11; 


pretends  to  estimate  the  yearl}'^  sacrifices  through- 
our  the  empire  at  less  than  twenty  thousand,  and 
some  carry  the  number  as  high  as  fifty  thousand. 
It  was  customary  to  preserve  the  skulls  of  the  sacri- 
ficed in  buildings  appropriate  to  the  purpose.  The 
companions  of  Cortes  counted  one  hundred  and 
thirty  six  thousand  in  one  of  these  edifices!"' 

The  Mexican  ruler  had  been  about  six  months 
among  the  Spaniards,  when  one  day  he  requested 
an  interview  with  Cortes.  *'  I  pray  you,"  he  said, 
'■  take  your  departure  from  my  city  and  my  country, 
for  my  gods  are  very  angry  that  I  keep  you  here. 
\^  you  want  anything,  ask  it,  and  I  will  give  it  to 
you.  Do  not  imagine  that  1  am  jesting.  I  am  very 
much  in  earncFt." 

"  I  understand  you,"  replied  the  Spanish  General, 
and    thank   you  for   expressing  your  sentiments. 
Name  a  time  when  you  wish  us  to  depart,  and  so  it 
shall  be."  , 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  hurry  you,"  remarked  Monte- 
zuma. '•  Take  the  time  that  seems  to  you  neces- 
sary,  and  when  you  do  go,  I  will  give  to  you,  Cortes, 
two  loads  of  gold,  and  one  to  each  of  your  com- 
panions." ■ 

"You  are  already  aware,"  explained  Cortes,  "  how  I 
destroyed  my  ships,  when  I  first  landed  in  your 
territory.  But  now  we  have  need  of  others  to 
return  to  our  own  country.     I  should  be  obliged  if 


'  Frescott, 


Hernando  Cortes 


105 


you  would  give  us  workmen  to  cut  and  work  the 
timber;  and  when  the  vessels  are  built  we  shall 
take  our  departure.  Of  this  you  can  inform  your 
gods  and  your  subjects."  Montezuma  agreed  to 
this  arrangmcnt. 

The  Spaniards  were  now  in  a  critical  situation  ; 
but  in  a  few  days  an  event  occurred  that  scattered 
all  preconceived  plans  to  the  wind.  Governor 
Velasquez  of  Cuba,  enraged  at  the  success  of  his 
former  lieutenant,  sent  an  army  of  fourteen  hundred 
infantry,  eighty  horsemen,  and  twenty  pieces  of 
cannon,  undj,'r  an  experienced  commander,  with 
instructions  to  seize  Cortes  and  his  companions. 

Cortes,  at  the  head  of  only  seventy  faithful 
^'ctcrans,  sallied  forth,  met  this  new  force,  over- 
•lowered  it  by  a  sudden  night  attack,  and  sccuitd  its 
illegiance.  But  during  his  absence  the  Mexicans 
had  risen  in  the  capital.  He  returned  rapidlv',  by 
forced  marches,  and  had  scarcely  reached  the  {)alace 
when  countless  multitudes,  led  by  a  brother  of 
Montezuma,  began  a  fierce  assault  on  the  Spanish 
quarters.  The  artillery  made  terrible  havoc,  but  tl:e 
barbarians  fought  with  reckless  bravery. 

The  battle  spread  from  the  streets  to  a  lofty 
neighboring  temple,  whence  the  Mexicans  galled  tlic 
Spaniards  with  showers  of  arrows.  Cortes  headed 
a  successful  attack  on  this  stronghold,  "and  there 
showed  liimself,"  writes  Diaz,  '*  to  be  a  very  valiant 
man,  as  he  always  was." 


io6 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


I  ( 


ii 


It  is  said  he  had  a  narrow  escape  from  the  dread- 
ful fate  of  being  thrown  from  the  top  of  the  tower. 
Two  warriors  of  strong  muscular  frames  seized  him, 
and  were  dragging  him  violently  towards  the  brink. 
Aware  of  their  intention,  he  struggled  with  all  his 
force,  and  before  they  could  accomplish  their  pur- 
pose, succeeded  in  tearing  himself  from  their  grasp, 
and  hurling  one  of  them  over  the  walls  with  his  own 
arm.'  Every  Mexican  in  the  temple  was  put  to 
the  sword. 

During  these  wild  scenes,  Montezuma,  who  was 
still  kept  in  the  Spanish  quarters,  appeared  on  the 
terrace  with  the  view  of  pacifying  his  people  ;  but 
he  was  wounded  by  a  stone — an  indignity  against  his 
royal  person  which  he  took  so  much  to  heart  that  he 
died  in  a  few  days. 

The  safety  of  the  Spaniards  now  lay  in  retreat, 
and  during  the  stillness  of  the  night,  Cortes  began 
to  withdraw  his  forces  from  the  capital.  But  an 
alarm  was  given.  The  whole  city  was  soon  aroused, 
and  as  the  little  army  took  its  way  along  the  short- 
est causeway,  it  was  assailed  on  all  sides  by  thou- 
sands of  frantic  Mexicans,  who  fought  with  the  fury 
inspired  by  hatred  and  vengeance.  Every  step  was 
marked  by  disaster.  The  slaughter  was  fearful. 
When  morning  dawned,  and  the  General  reviewed 
the  shattered  remains  of  his  forces  in  the  open 
countrw  it  is  said  he  was  overcome  with  emotion, 

>  Prescolt. 


Hernando  Cortes. 


107 


and  wept  like  a  child, 'on  recalling  to  mind  the  many 
faithful  friends  and  gallant  veterans  who  had  perished 
on  that  night  of  sorrow. 

Cortes  pushed  on  towards  Tlascala — the  only- 
place  where  he  could  hope  for  a  friendly  reception — 
but  was  met  in  the  Valley  of  Otumba  by  a  vast 
army  of  Mexicans,  who  had  vowed  his  utter  de- 
struction. It  must  be  death  or  victory.  In  the 
heat  of  the  conflict,  the  General  pointed  to  the 
commander-in-chief  of  the  barbarians.  "  There,"  he 
exclaimed  to  the  cavaliers  at  his  side,  "  is  our  mark. 
Follow  and  support  me!" 

"  Then  crying  his  war-cry,"  writes  Prescott,  "  and 
striking  his  iron  heel  into  his  weary  steed,  he 
plunged  headlong  into  the  thickest  of  the  press. 
Mis  enemies  fell  back,  taken  by  surprise  and  daunted 
by  the  ferocity  of  the  attack.  Those  who  did  not 
were  pierced  through  with  his  lance  or  borne  down 
by  the  weight  of  his  charger.  The  cavaliers  followed 
close  in  the  rear.  On  they  swept  with  the  fury  of  a 
thunderbolt,  cleaving  the  solid  ranks  asunder,  strew- 
ing their  paths  with  the  dying  and  the  dead,  and. 
bounding  over  every  obstacle  in  their  way. 

"  In  a  few  minutes  they  were  in  the  presence  of 
the  Indian  commander,  and  Cortes,  overturning  his 
supporters,  sprang  forward  with  tlie  strength  of  a 
lion,  and  striking  him  throu*;]!  with  his  lance, 
hurled  him  to  the  ground."  The  imperial  stand. ird 
was  captured.     A  general  panic    seized  the    dusky 


io8 


T!ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  mcrica. 


warriors,  and  they  fled  in  all  directions.  It  was  a 
glorious  victory,  in  which  Cortes  ''  by  his  single  arm 
saved  the  army  from  destruction." 

When  Cortes  and  his  toil  worn,  battle-scarred 
veterans  reached  Tlascaia,  they  were  received  with 
hearty  friendship.  "  How  it  grieves  us  to  hear 
of  your  losses  and  your  sorrows  !"  exclaimed  the 
kindly  Tlascalans.  "  Have  we  not  told  you  many 
cimcs  that  you  should  not  trust  in  the  Mexican 
people  ?  But  now  the  thing  is  done,  and  nothing 
more  remains  at  present  but  to  refresh  and  cure 
you." 

When  all  were  **  refreshed  and  cured,  '  Cortes 
'~>!ganizcd  a  large  army — composed  chiefly  of  Indian 
.'i'lies — for  the  conquest  of  the  Mexican  Empire, 
and  its  subjugation  to  the  Crown  of  Spain.  One  of 
the  rules  he  laid  down  was  that  no  soldier  should 
profane  the  Holy  Name  of  God.  He  marched  on 
the  capital,  and  at  once  began  siege  operations.  To 
command  the  lake,  he  had  the  materials  of  a  fleet 
cut  in  Tlascaia,  and  transported  to  Mexico  by 
30,000  men.  "  It  was  a  marvellous  thing,"  writes 
Cortes  himself,  "that  few  have  seen  or  even  heard 
of — this  transportation  of  thirteen  vessels  of  war 
on  the  shoulders  of  men  for  nearly  twenty  leagues 
across  the  mountains  !" 

A  siege  of  nearly  three  months,  ended  by  a  ter- 
ri.ble  assault  of  two  days,  left  the  Spaniards  anrl 
their  allies  masters   of  the  capital  on  the  13th  of 


Hernando  Cortes. 


109 


August,  1 521.  Famine  had  assisted  in  the  vvoefu! 
work  of  death  and  destruction,  and  the  city  lay  in 
ruins  "  like  some  huge  churchyard  with  the  corpses 
disinterred,  and  the  tombstones  scattered  about." 
'•  I  have  heard  many  say,"  writes  Oviedo,  "  that  the 
number  of  the  dead  was  countless — greater  than  at 
Jerusalem,  as  described  by  Josephus." 

The  whole  Mexican  nation  was  now  completely 
subjected,  for  though  some  attempts  at  revolt  were 
afterwards  made,  they  were  soon  crushed  by  the 
Conqueror,  who  had  been  appointed  Governor  and 
Captain-Genv-.al  of  the  country  by  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.  A  new  city  arose  on  the  ruins  of  the  old  ; 
ind  a  stately  cathedral  soon  stood  on  the  site  of  the 
famous  temple.  Missionaries  began  the  work  of 
::onversion,  the  country  was  explored,  and  Corte? 
proved  that  he  could  govern  a  great  empire  as  well 
as  conquer  it. 

In  1528,  Cortes  returned  to  Spain  to  meet  some 
calumnies  against  him, and  was  received  with  marked 
distinction.  On  his  return  to  Mexico,  however,' 
two  years  later,  he  was  divested  of  much  of  his  authoi  - 
ity.  He  fitted  out  several  expeditions  at  his  own 
expense,  and  discovered  California.  In  1540,  he  again 
returned  to  his  native  land,  but  was  coldly  received 
at  Court,  from  which  he  soon  retired,  and  prepared 
for  his  end  at  a  little  village  near  Seville.  He  re- 
ceived the  last  Sacraments  with  devotion,  and  died 
on  the  2d  of  December,  1547,  at  the  age  of  sixty  two 
years. 


no  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 

The  Conqueror  of  Mexico  was  one  of  the  most 
gifted  men  in  all  history.  His  life  was  far  from  fault- 
less,  but  his  career  is  marked  by  dazzling  splendor. 
He  was  certainly  a  great  general.  He  stands  with- 
out a  peer  the  first  military  genius  the  New  World 
has  yet  seen.  He  had  a  marvellous  knowledge  of 
luiman  nature,  and  in  him  *' valor  was  welded  to 
prudence  as  the  blade  of  the  sword  is  to  its  handle." 
He  was  a  grent  explorer  and  discoverer.  He  was 
a  statesman  of  the  first  order.  His  letters,  written 
with  manly  strength  and  simple  elegance,  give  him 
an  honorable  rank  in  literature.  He  was  charitable 
and  sincerely  religious.  He  always  felt  that  he  was 
a  Catholic  soldier  of  the  Cross;  and  that  the  most 
brilliant  of  his  achievements  consisted  in  planting 
the  blessed  sign  of  man's  redemption  over  the 
blood-stained  temples  of  pagan  Mexico. 

"  He  [)referrcd,"  writes  the  brave  Bernard  Diaz, 
one  of  his  companions-in-arms,  *' to  be  called  Cortes 
by  us,  to  being  called  by  any  title;  and  with 
good  reason,  for  the  name  of  Cortes  is  as  famous  in 
our  da)'  as  was  that  of  Caesar  among  the  Romans, 
or  of  Hannibal  among  the  Carthaginians.   ... 

"In  his  whole  appearance  and  presence,  in  his 
discourse,  his  table,  his  dress — in  short,  in  every- 
thinu— he  had  the  air  of  a  jjreat  lord.  His  clothes 
were  in  the  fashion  of  the  time.  He  set  little  value 
on  silk,  damask,  or  velvet,  but  dressed  plainly  and 
exceedingly  neat ;  nor  did  he  wear  massy  chains  of 


!'>f>. 


Ihriiando  CorU's. 


1 1  I 


gold,  but  simply  a  fin<i  one  of  exquisite  workman- 
ship,  from  which  was  suspended  a  jewel  having  the 
figure  t>f  our  IMessed  Lady  and  her  precious  Son, 
with  a  Latin  niolto  cut  upon  it. 

"  He  was  acquainted  with  Latin,  and,  a?  I  have 
understood,  was  made  Bachelor  of  Laws  ;  and  wlicn 
he  conversed  witli  learned  men  wiio  addressed  liim 
in  Latin,  he  answered  them  in  the  same  language. 
He  was  also  something  of  a  poet.  His  conversation 
was  agreeable,  and  he  had  a  pleasant  elocution.  In 
his  attendance  on  the  services  of  the  Church  he  was 
most  punctual,  devout  in  his  manner,  and  charitable 
to  the  poor. 

"When  he  swore  he  used  to  sav :  On  viy  con- 
science ;  and  when  he  w.is  vexed  with  anv  one. 
Plague  on  you  !  With  hi-  men  he  was  very  ])atient ; 
and  they  were  sometimes  impertinent  and  even  in- 
solent. When  very  angr)',  the  veins  in  his  throat 
and  forehead  would  swell,  but  he  uttered  no  re- 
proaches against  either  officer  or  soldier. 

"  He  was  fond  of  cards  and  dice,  and  when  he 
played  was  always  in  good  humor,  indulging  freely 
in  jests  and  repartees.  He  was  affable  with  his  fol- 
lowers, especially  with  those  who  came  over  with 
him  from  Cuba.  In  his  campaigns  he  paid  strict  at- 
tention to  discipline,  frequently  going  the  rounds 
himself  during  the  night,  and  seeing  that  the  senti- 
nels did  their  duty.  He  entered  the  quarters  of 
his  soldiers  without  ceremony,  and    chided  those 


I 


112 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


ii 


II 


whom  he  found  without  their  arms  and  accoutre- 
ments, saying,  //  ivas  a  bad  sheep  that  could  not  carry 
its  own  wool. 

"On  the  expedition  to  Honduras  he  acquired 
the  habit  of  sleeping  after  his  meals,  feeling  un 
well  if  he  omitted  it ;  and,  however  sultry  or  stormy 
the  weather,  he  caused  a  carpet  or  his  cloak  to  be 
thrown  under  a  tree,  and  slept  soundly  for  some 
time. 

"  He  was  frank  and  exceedingly  liberal  in  his  dis- 
position, until  the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  when  he 
was  accused  of  parsimony.  But  we  should  consider 
that  his  funds  were  employed  on  great  and  costly 
enterprises,  and  that  none  of  these,  after  the  Conquest, 
neither  his  expedition  to  Honduras  nor  his  voyage 
to  California,  were  crowned  with  success. 

"  It  was  perhaps  intended  that  he  should  receive 
his  recompense  in  a  better  world  ;  and  I  fully  be- 
lieve it ;  for  he  was  a  good  cavalier,  most  true  in 
his  devotions  to  the  Holy  Virgin,  to  the  Apostle  St. 
Peter,  and  to  all  the  other  Saints.  May  God  pardon 
his  snis,  and  mine  too,  and  give  me  a  pious  end, 
which  is  of  more  concern  than  the  conquests  and 
victories  that  we  had  over  the  Indians." 


Tiie  Catliolic  Pioneers  of  America, 


i'5 


FRANCIS   PIZARRO, 

THE  DISCOVERER  AND  CONQUEROR  OF  PERU. 
Died  A.  D.  1541. 

MONG  the  Catholic  Pioneers  of  the  New 
World  who  rose  to  distinction  and  chiselled 
their  names  in  the  marble  of  history,  none 
begun  life  in  such  poverty,  ignorance,  and  degreda- 
tion  as  Francis  Pizarro. 

The  illegitimate  son  of  a  military  officer,  he  was 
born  at  Truxillo,  in  Spain,  about  the  year  1471. 
The  child,  it  seems,  was  wholly  neglected  by  his 
parents,  never  taught  to  read  or  write,  and  spent  his 
time  in  taking  care  of  pigs.  But  as  he  grew  up,  this 
humble  employment  became  intolerable.  His  bold, 
aspiring  mind  longed  for  fields  of  adventure  ;  and 
he  enlisted  as  a  common  soldier,  serving  through 
various  campaigns  in  Spain  and  Italy. 

Pizarro's  roving  spirit  led  him  to  the  New  World. 
In  1509,  he  joined  the  ill-fated  expedition  of  Ojeda, 
in  which  John  de  la  Cosawas  killed,  and  the  attempt 
to  found  a  colony  at  San  Sebastian  ended  in  failure. 
He  then  followed  the  fortunes  of  Balboa,  was 
present  at  the  discovery  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and 


114 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


displayed  j^rcat  bravery  and  resolution  in  various 
contests  with  the  Indians.  A  little  later  on,  he 
arrested  his  noble  chief,  and  led  him  to  a  death  of 
violence. 

He  next  engaged  in  trafficking  with  the  natives 
on  the  shores  of  the  newly-discovered  Ocean.  In 
a  few  )'cars  more,  he  joined  the  victorious  banner  of 
Cortes,  and  served  in  the  conquest  of  Mexico. 
Speaking  of  the  famous  night  attack  on  the  forces 
sent  by  Velasquez,  Bernal  Diaz  Arites:  "Cortes 
ordered  that,  in  the  attack,  the  first  thing  to  be 
done  was  to  seize  the  artillery.  For  this  duty  he 
selected  seventy  soldiers,  of  which  number  I  was  one, 
and  put  us  under  the  command  of  Pizarro,  an  active 
lad,  whose  name,  however,  was  at  that  time  as  little 
known  as  that  of  Peru." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Balboa  had  heard  of 
Peru,  and  formed  the  design  of  conquering  it;  but 
after  his  untimely  death,  all  thought  of  that  mys- 
terious land  of  gold  and  dusky  civilization  seemed 
to  have  faded  from  the  popular  mind.  Some  con 
sidered  it  a  dazzling  fiction.  There  resided  on  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  however,  three  men  who  had  a 
firm  belief  in  its  existence — namely,  Francis  Pizarro, 
James  de  Almagro,  and  Hernando  de  Luque,  a 
priest. 

When  the  splendid  achievement  of  Cortes  re- 
sounded through  the  world,  giving  a  fresh  impulse  to 
adventure,  these  three  friends  put  their  heads  to- 


Francis   Pizarro, 


115 


gtther,  formed  a  kind  of  solemn  partnership,  ratified 
at  the  altar,  and  fitted  out  a  small  expedition  for 
the  discovery  and  conquest  of  Peru. 

Pizarro  took  command.  In  1524,  about  four  years 
after  Magellan's  squadron  had  entered  the  Pacific, 
he  spread  his  sails,  and  bore  away  towards  the  south 
on  the  same  boundless  Ocean.  He  crept  down  the 
coast,  and  landed  from  time  to  time,  only  to  find  a 
rugged  and  barren  country.  *  Hunger  came,  and 
many  of  the  men  died.  Nor  was  that  all.  The  Indians 
fought  with  poisoned  arrows,  the  climate  was  un- 
wholesome, and  the  forests  were  dense  beyond  de- 
scription. 

Almagro  brought  a  reinforcement ;  but  the  hope- 
less toil  became  intolerable,  and  most  of  the  men 
returned  to  Panama.  Pizarro,  with  only  fourteen 
followers,  sought  shelter  on  the  uninhabited  island 
of  Gorgona,  *'  which  those  who  have  seen  it  compare 
to  the  infernal  regions."  Here  they  spent  five 
miserable  months,  living  on  shellfish,  and  anything 
else  the  sharpened  eye  of  hunger  could  discover. 

At  length  fresh  supplies  from  Almagro  enabled  the 
dauntless  commander  to  set  forth  once  more,  and 
achieve  the  discovery  of  northern  Peru.  The 
Spaniards  landed,  and  their  eyes  beheld  a  country 
rolling  in  wealth  and  barbarous  splendor.  The 
precious  metals  were  everywhere.  Pizarro  returned 
to  Panama,  carrying  with  him  numbers  of  costly  and 
beautiful   ornaments  of  gold  and  silver,  specimens 


1 


n6 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  meriea. 


of  woollen  clotli  of  silky  texture  and  brilliant  hue, 
and  some  llamas,  or  alpacas— all  of  which  he  had 
received  frijin  the  rich  and  generous  natives. 

In  1528,  the  indomitable  Pizarro  sailed  for  Spain, 
and  landed  at  Palos,  where  he  accidentally  m.^t  his 
old  chief,  Cortes,  who  was  then  spending  a  few 
days  of  repose,  after  his  voyage,  at  the  hospitable 
Monastery  of  La  Rabida.  "  The  meeting  of  these 
two  extraordinary  men,  '  says  Prescott,  "the  Con- 
querors of  the  North  and  of  the  South  in  the  New 
World,  as  they  set  foot,  after  their  eventful  absence, 
on  the  shores  of  their  native  land,  and  that,  too,  on 
the  spot  consecrated  by  the  presence  of  Columbus, 
has  something  in  it  striking  to  the  imagination." 

Pizarro  appeared  at  Court  with  the  dignity  and 
frank  manners  of  a  soldier,  and  recounted  to  Charles 
V.  the  thrilling  story  of  his  wonderful  discovery. 
He  was  appointed  Governor  and  Captain-General 
of  Peru.  Returning  to  Panama,  he  set  sail  for 
Peru  with  a  small  but  well  equipped  force  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty-three  men  and  thirty-seven 
>  horses.  He  landed  at  S*-.  Matthew's  Bay  in  1531, 
marched  tov'^ards  the  soutri,and  was  joined  by  small 
reinforcements  under  i  he  gallant  Hernando  de  Soto 
and  other  officers. 

He    becran    to    advance    cautiously    into    the  in- 
terior,  and  soon  learned  the  real  state  of  the  country 
The  golden  empire  of  Peru,  which  stretched  along 
the   Pacific   Ocean,  from   north  to  south,  for  over 


ll'*,- 


Francis  Pizdrro. 


n; 


fifteen  lunulred  miles,  was  convulsed  in  ci\il  war.  A 
quarre.l  liad  arisen  between  Hu.iscar  ami  Atahualpa, 
the  two  sons  of  the  late  monarch.  Atahualpa, 
triumphant  in  battle,  liad  taken  his  br(Ulu  r  prisoner, 
and  was  encamped  beyond  the  Andes  with  a  vic- 
torious army  of  fitt\'  thousand  men. 

Just  at  this  point  Pizarro  aj)peared  on  the  sccjie. 
and  decided  to  meet  the  \  ictor.  "  Let  every  one 
of  you,"  he  said  to  Ids  men,  "take  lieart,  and  go 
forward  like  a  good  soldier — nothing  daunted  at  the 
smallncss  of  your  numbers.  For  in  the  greatest 
extremity  God  ever  fights  for  his  own  ;  and  no  doubt 
He  will  humble  the  pride  of  the  heathen,  and  brin^ 
him  to  the  knowledge  of  the  True  Faith — the  great 
end  and  object  of  the  Conquest." 

"Lead  on!"  shouted  the  troops,  *' wherever  you 
think  best.  We  will  follow  with  good  will,  and  you 
shall  see  that  we  can  do  our  duty  in  the  cause  of 
God  and  the  King." 

He  took  up  his  line  of  march  for  the  Andes, 
whose  vast  summits  soon  "  cast  their  shadows  on 
the  little  army,  and  the  toilsome  ascent  began  The 
path  was  so  steep  that  the  cavalry  dismounted  and 
with  difficulty  led  their  horses  upward — so  narrow 
that  there  was  barely  room  for  a  horse  to  walk.  Li 
many  places  it  overhung  abysses  thousands  of  feet 
in  depth,  into  which  men  and  liorses  looked  with 
fear.  As  they  rose,  the  opulent  vegetation  of  the 
tropics  was  left  behind,  and  they  passed  through 


ii8 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


dreary  forests  of  stunted  pine-wood.  The  cold  was 
piercing.  But  tiie  summit  was  reached  in  safety, 
and  the  descent  of  the  eastern  slope  began.  As 
they  followed  the  downward  path,  each  step  dis- 
closed some  new  scene  of  grandeur  or  of  beauty." 

The  hardy  battalions  passed  down  to  the  city  of 
Cassamarca,  and  were  courteously  received  by  Ata- 
hualpa.  Pizarro,  however,  well  knew  the  peril  of 
his  position.  Me  thought  of  Cortes  and  Monte- 
zuma, and,  during  a  public  interview,  he  .  boldly 
seized  the  King,  and,  by  a  few  swift  and  well  di- 
rected charges,  routed  the  panic-stricken  Peruvian 
army.     It  was  all  the  work  of  less  than  an  hour. 

Atahaulpa,  now  a  captive  in  his  own  country,  in 
the  hands  of  strange  and  terrible  warriors,  sought  to 
regain  his  liberty  by  offers  whose  magnificence  as- 
tonished Pizarro  and  his  soldiers.  **  He  offered," 
says  Mackenzie,  "  to  fill  with  gold,  to  a  height  of 
nine  feet,  a  room  whose  area  was  seventeen  feet  in 
breadth  and  twenty  two  feet  in  length.  A  room  of 
smaller  dimensions  was  to  be  twice  filled  with  sil- 
ver ;  and  he  asked  only  two  months  to  collect  this 
enormous  ransom.  The  offer  was  accepted,  and  the 
[nca'  sent  messengers  to  all  his  cities,  commanding 
that  temples  and  palaces  should  be  stripped  of  their 
ornaments. 

"  In  a  few  weeks,  Indian  carriers  began  to  arrive 
at  Cassamarca,  laden  to  their  utmost  capacity  with 

*  Inca  was  the  title  given  to  monarchsof  Peru. 


W 


Francis  Pizarro. 


119 


silver  and  gold.  Day  by  day,  they  poured  in,  bear- 
ing great  f^olden  vessels,  which  had  been  used  in  the 
palaces — ,^reat  plates  of  gold,  which  had  lined  the 
walls  and  ruofs  of  temples — crowns  and  collars  and 
bracelets  of  gold,  which  the  chieftains  gave  up.  in 
the  hope  that  they  would  procure  the  liberty  of 
their  ma.-ter.  At  length,  the  room  was  filled  up  to 
the  red  line  which  Pizarro  had  drawn  upon  the 
wall  as  his  record  of  this  extraordinary  bargain." 

This  immense  mass  of  gold  and  silver — equal,  it 
has  been  computed,  to  fifteen  or  twenty  millions  of 
dollars — was  melted  down  ;  one-fifth  was  set  aside 
for  the  King  of  Spain,  and  a  small  portion  was  given 
to  Almagro,  who  had  just  arrived  with  reinforce- 
ments. The  General  reserved  the  rest  for  himself, 
his  officers  and  soldiers.  It  is  said  that  each  horse- 
man receiv^ed  about  forty  thousand  dollars. 

"  There  is  no  example  in  history,"  says  Robert- 
son, "  of  such  a  sudden  acquisition  of  wealth  by 
military  service  ;  nor  was  ever  sum  so  great  divided 
among  so  small  a  number  of  soldiers." 

But  though  it  was  proclaimed  by  sound  of  trumpet 
that  Atahualpa  had  paid  his  ransom  like  a  king,  he 
still  continued  a  prisoner.  It  is  related  that  the 
captive  monnrcli  found  pleasure  in  the  visits  of  tlie 
knightly  Hernando  de  Soto,  who  knew  how  to  treat 
him  with  becoming  respect.  But  in  the  presence  of 
Pizarro,  "  he  was  always  uneasy  and  overawed.  This 
dread  soor   came   to   be  mingled   with   contempt. 


I 

n 


I20 


Tlie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


Among  all  the  European  arts,  what  he  admired  most 
was  that  of  reading  and  writing,  and  he  long  de- 
liberated with  himself,  whether  he  should  regard  it 
as  a  natural  or  acquired  talent.  In  order  to  deter- 
mine this,  lie  desired  one  of  the  soldiers  who 
guarded  him  to  write  the  name  of  God  on  the  nail 
of  his  thumb. 

*'  This  he  showed  successively  to  several  Spaniards, 
asking  its  meaning  ;  and  to  his  amazement  they  all, 
without  hesitation,  returned  the  same  answer.  At 
length  Pizarro  entered  ;  and,  on  presenting  it  to 
him,  he  blushed  and  with  some  confusion  was 
obliiied  to  acknowledge  his  i<morance.  From  that 
moment  Atahualpa  considered  him  as  a  mean  per- 
son, less  instructed  than  his  own  soldiers  :  and  he 
had  not  address  enough  to  conceal  the  sentiments 
with  which  this  discovery  inspired  him."' 

The  illiterate  Governor  was  mortified  to  be  *'  the 
object  of  a  barbarian's  scorn,"  and  it  is  said  the 
foregoing  incident  hastened  the  doom  of  the  un- 
fortunate Inca.  It  was  soon  rumored  that  he  had 
ordered  a  rising  of  the  Peruvians.  He  was  at  once 
tried  before  Pizarro  and  Almagro,  who  sat  as  judges 
and  unjusth'  accused  of  a  number  of  crimes.  The 
unhappy  monarch  was  condemned  to  death,  and 
after  receiving  Baptism,  he  was  cruelly  strangled. 
De  Soto  was  absent  from  the  camp  at  the 
time  of  this  horrible  transaction ;  but  on  returning 

>  Robertson, 


I 


\  I 


Francis  Pisarro. 


121 


I 


le 


he  reproached  his  chief,  and  expressed  his  firm 
behef  that  Atahualpa  had  been  basely  slandered. 

Pizarro  now  marched  and  took  possession  of  the 
Peruvian  capital — "  the  great  and  holy  city  of  Cusco." 
It  contained  a  population  of  about  three  hundred 
thousand.  The  streets  crossed  each  other  at  rigiit 
angles,  and  the  houses  were  built  chiefly  of  stone. 
It  was  adorned  with  numerous  and  splendid  palaces, 
and  guarded  by  a  mighty  fortress  built  on  a  lofty 
eminence.  '*  This  noble  city  was  the  pride  of  all 
Peruvians.  It  was  to  them  what  Jerusalem  was  to 
the  Jews,  or  Rome  to  the  Romans." 

In  less  than  ten  years,  Pizarro  made  himself 
master  of  the  Peruvian  empire.  Ho  erected  churches, 
cast  down  idols,  and  set  up  crosses  on  the  highwa)s. 
He  founded  the  city  of  Lima  in  1535.  But  the 
demon  of  strife  appeared  among  the  conquerors. 
An  open  rupture  between  Pizarro  and  Almagro  led 
to  new  scenes  of  blood  and  appalling  slaughter.  Al- 
magro was  defeated,  taken  prisoner,  and  mercilessly 
condemned  to  be  strangled.  Though  in  feeble 
health,  and  pressed  down  with  the  burden  of  sev- 
enty-five years,  he  died  with  the  dignity  and  forti- 
tude of  a  veteran. 

Almagro  perished,  but  he  left  behind  him  a  strong 
party  that  hated  Pizarro,  and  plotted  his  destruc- 
tion. About  noon,  on  Sunday,  the  26th  of  June, 
1 541,  a  band  of  conspirators  rushed  into  the  resi. 
dence  of  the  Governor,  exclaiming :     *'  Long  livf: 


I 


122 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


the  King!  Down  with  the  tyrant !"  Pizarro  wasin  his 
apartment,  surrounded  by  Qnly  a  few  followers.  On 
becoming  aware  of  his  danger,  he  ordered  the  door 
to  be  shut,  grasped  his  sword,  and  said :  "Courage, 
companions,  we  are  yet  many  enough  to  make  these 
traitors  repent  of  their  audacity." 

When  the  door  opened,  the  struggle  grew  despe- 
rate. Pizarro  threw  himself  on  his  enemies  like  a 
lion  aroused  in  his  lair.  "  Traitors !"  he  cried, 
"  have  you  come  to  kill  me  in  my  own  house !"  and 
his  sword  fell  with  fatal  force  on  numbers  of  his 
enemies.  But  all  his  followers  were  soon  killed  or 
•vounded,  and  at  length  the  fearless  old  man  re- 
•^.eived  a  mortal  stab  in  the  throat  and  fell  '*  Jesus  !" 
exclaimed  the  dying  General,  "and  tracing  across 
•vith  his  finger  on  the  bloody  floor,  he  bent  down 
Jiis  head  to  kiss  it,  when  a  stroke  more  friendly 
than  the  rest  put  an  end  to  his  existence."  ' 

And  thus  perished  Francis  Pizarro,  the  stern  Con- 
queror of  Peru,  who  had  surmounted  so  many  stu- 
pendous difficulties  on  land  and  water,  who  had 
served  under  Ojeda  and  Balboa  and  Cortes,  who 
had  braved  hunger  and  thirst  and  disease,  who  had 
smiled  at  the  wrath  of  man  and  the  fury  of  the 
tempest,  who  had  broken  through  the  lofty  barrier 
of  the  Andes,  and  triumphed  at  the  head  of  his  vete- 
rans on  countless  battle-fields.  He  was  about  sev- 
enty years  of  age.     He  was  never  married.     Simple 

•  Prescott, 


Francis  Pizarro.  12^ 

in  dress  and   manners,  he  was   tall  in  stature  and 
well  proportioned,  with  an  air  of  soldierly  distinc- 
tion.     He  rose  early,  and  was  temperate  in  eating 
and    drinking.     Far    from    hoarding    up    the    vast 
wealth    that   poured   in    upon  him  as  Governor  of 
•  Peru,  he  generously  employed  it  in  promoting  Qreat 
public  enterprises.     He  was  a  w.irrior  of  dauntless 
courage,  iron  nerve,  and  rare  power  of  patient  en- 
durance ;    but,  in  many  of.  his  boldest  actions,  he 
simply  imitated  Cortes,  and  trusted  to  luck  for  suc- 
cess.    Though  often  guided  by  noble  and  generous 
impulses,  his  wonderful  career  is  marked  by  deeds 
of  cunning,  cruelty,  and  treachery.     The  conquest 
of  Peru  is  a  long  and  bloody  drama,  in  which  he  was 
the  chief  actor  ,  but   it  is  only  right  to  remember 
chat  this  terrible  genius  was  a  poor,  unlettered  "son 
of  sin  and  sorrow."     To  judge  him  fairly,  we  must 
judge  with  charity. 


prft^* 


124 


T/itr  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America 


HERNANDO  DE  SOTO, 

THE    CO\QUEROR   OF  FLORIDA,  AND  DISCOVERER  OF  THE 
LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

Died  A.  D.   1542. 

^^g].,  J  "  twenty-seven  years  after  the  veteran 
^^1  Ponce  de  Leon  had  visited  Florida,  in  search 
lUPmB,  ;ji  ♦^he  ■'^V>ied  fountain  of  youtii,  a  more  re- 
nowned pioneer  stepped  on  its  lonely  shores,  and 
struck  boldly  into  the  wilderness  of  North  Amer- 
ica.    It  was  Hernando  dc  Soto.' 

He  was  born  in  Spain  about  1501.  Though  of  a 
noble  family,  the  young  cavalier  began  life  with  no 
fortune  but  his  sword  and  buckler.  His  checkered 
career  opens  in  the  New  World,  where,  as  the  com- 
panion of  Pizarro  and  commander  of  a  corps  of 
cavalry,  he  rose  to  distinction,  and  had  no  small 
share  in  the  conquest  of  Peru  and  the  spoils  that 
fell  to  the  victors. 

It  will  be  remembered  to  the  honor  of  De  Soto 
that  he  crained  the  confidence  and  affection  of  the 
unhappy  Inca  Atahunlpa  ;  and,  on  findin^^  that,  dur- 
ing his  absence  from  the  camp,  the  monarch  was  put 
to  death,  he  did  not  conceal  his  just  indignation. 
•'You    have    acted    rashly,"    he    said  to  Pizarro. 


Hernando  de  Soto, 


125 


"The  Inca  has  been  basely  slande/td.  He  should 
have  been  taken  to  Spain,  and  judged  by  the  Em- 
peror." 

De  Soto  returned  to  his  native  land  with  wealth 
and  reputation.  Success  of  all  kinds  awaited  him  at 
home.  He  appeared  at  the  Court  of  Charles  V. 
with  a  magnificent  retinue;  and  his  commanding 
figure  and  attractive  manners  made  him  the  "  ob- 
served of  all  observers."  He  ^'ained  the  favor  of 
the  Emperor.  He  married  tlic  daughter  of  a  dis- 
tinguished nobleman,  and  might  now  have  settled 
down  to  a  life  of  ease  and  honor. 

But  De  Soto's  imagination  took  fire  whenever  he 
thought  of  the  New  World,  overhung  as  it  was  with 
countless  wonders,  and  promises  of  wealth,  adven- 
ture, and  the  spread  of  the  Catholic  Religion.  He 
cast  his  eyes  towards  Florida.  The  various  expedi- 
tionstothat  famous  but  unexplored  land  had  hitherto 
failed,  and  he  asked  and  obtained  permission  of 
Charles  V.  to  undertake  its  conquest  at  his  own  risk 
and  expense.  He  was  appointed  Governor  of  both  * 
Cuba  and  Florida. 

A  well-equipped  armament  stood  across  the  At- 
lantic, touched  at  Cuba,  and  on  the  25th  of  Ma)-, 
1539,  De  Soto  landed  at  Tampa  Bay,  Florida,  "  witii 
six  hundred  and  twenty  chosen  men,  a  band  as 
gallant  and  well-appointed,  as  eager  in  pursuit  and 
audacious  in  hope,  as  ever  trod  the  shores  of  the 
New  World.     The  clangor  of  trumpets,  the  neighing 


126 


The  Catholic  Pionetrs  of  America. 


of  horses,  the  fluttering  of  pennons,  the  glittering 
of  helmet  and  lance,  startled  the  ancient  forest  with 
unwonted  greeting. 

"  Amid  this  pomp  of  chivalry,  religion  was  not 
forgotten.  The  sacred  vessels  and  vestments,  with 
bread  and  wine  for  the  Eucharist,  were  carefully 
provided;  and  De  Soto  himself  declared  that  the 
enterprise  was  undertaken  for  God  alone,  and  seemed 
to  be  the  object  of  his  especial  care."  '  The  conver- 
sion of  the  savages  was  considered  a  matter  of  the 
first  importance,  and  twelve  priests  accompanied  the 
expedition. 

The  Governor  took  possession  of  the  country  in 
the  name  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  It  is  said  he 
dreamed  of  nothing  b..it  success,  and  moved  by  the 
example  of  Cortes,  sent  most  of  his  ships  back  to 
Havana.  The  savages  did  not  like  the  new-comers, 
and  gave  vent  to  their  wrath  in  hideous  yells  and 
showers  of  arrows.  But  a  well-directed  charge  of 
the  cavalry  gave  fleetness  to  the  heels  of  the  greasy, 
loud- mouthed  warriors.  The  loss  of  a  fine  charger, 
however,  warned  the  Spaniards  that  the  Indian 
arrow  was  no  mean  weapon.  The  fatal  shaft  had 
flown  with  such  force  as  to  pass  through  the  saddle 
and  bury  itself  between  the  ribs  of  the  horse. 

The  work  of  exploration  began,  but  from  the  out- 
set it  was  a  toilsome  and  perilous  enterprise.  The 
little  army  pushed  patiently  along  towards  the  north. 

>  Farkman. 


I 


Ilcrnando  Dc  Soto. 


127 


The  line  of  march  lay  through  a  trackless  wilderness 
covered  by  dense  forests,  and  intersected  by  muddy 
rivers  and  vast  swamps.  On  every  side  the  savages 
proved  hostile.  The  Spaniards  were  obliged  to  figlit 
and  push  on  while  burdened  down  with  a  large  stock 
of  provisions  and  ammunition.  A  cannon  was  hauled 
through  treacherous  bogs'  and  tangled  underwood, 
with  immense  labor,  and  the  care  of  scores  of  head- 
strong pigs  must  have  added  enormously  to  the 
difificulties  of  the  dangerous  journey. 

When  Sunday  or  some  festival  came,  a  halt  was 
ordered.  A  temporary  altar  was  erected,  perhaps 
beneath  some  lordly  tree  which  towered  to  the 
skies,  like  the  steeple  of  a  Gothic  cathedral.  Mass 
was  celebrated,  and  the  gallant  De  Soto  and  his 
cavaliers  devoutly  knelt  oii  the  grass  around. 
Every  religious  practice  was  observed,  and  as  the 
little  army  cut  its  way  through  the  wilderness  of 
Florida,  the  beautiful  ceremonies  of  the  Church  were 
duly  performed. 

The  Governor  used  every  effort  to  gain  the 
friendship  of  the  Indians.  He  assured  them  that 
his  mission  was  peaceful,  and  that  all  he  desired  was 
a  passage  through  their  territories.  But  in  vain  were 
his  assurances.  Full  of  hatred  and  suspicion,  the 
dusky  warriors  would  lie  in    ambush,  discharge    a 

1  In  some  of  the  morasses  they  had  traversed,  the  surface  would  appear  hke 
firm  land,  vet,  on  stepping  upon  it,  would  tremble  for  twenty  or  thirty  paces 
around,  and  on  being  trodden  by  horses  would  give  way,  and  plunge  steed  and 
rider  into  a  suffocating  quagmire.— /rfiw/. 


■ '   .• 


,1 


I 


128 


The  CatJiolic  Pioneers  of  America 


volley  of  arrows,  and  then  fly  to  the  thicke^^s  of  the 
woods.  Thus  the  army  was  e^'cr  exposed  to  the 
attacks  of  lurking  savages,  and  unce^'sing  vigilance 
was  necessary.  The  moment  a  Spaniard  strayed 
from  the  camp,  he  was  likely  to  be  shot  down,  and 
instantly  scalped. 

On  one  occasion  De  Soto's  favorite  dog — a  splen- 
did hound — made  himself  famous.  Several  Spanish 
soldiers  and  a  band  of  Indians  were  talking  in  a 
friendly  way  on  the  banks  of  a  river.  But  in  an  un- 
guarded moment  one  of  the  treacherous  savages 
struck  a  Spaniard  with  his  bow,  and  plunged  into 
the  water.  All  his  companions  followed.  The  dog 
seemed  to  understand  the  whole  affair,  and  in  an  in- 
stant rushed  after  the  savages.  He  swam  past  the 
hindermost  Indians  until  at  length  he  came  "to  the 
one  who  had  committed  the  assault,  'when,  laying 
hold  of  him,  he  tore  him  to  pieces." 

Ever  skirmishing,  and  always  on  the  march,  De 
Soto  held  on  his  course  towards  the  north  of  Flor- 
ida. At  one  point  an  immense  morass  stopped  his 
progress.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  thick  forest  of 
lofty  trees  and  tangled  underwood,  and  all  points 
were  guarded  by  hostile  Indians.  Bridges  of  trees, 
made  with  great  labor,  enabled  the  way-worn  Span- 
iards to  cross  such  portions  as  came  above  their 
middle.  But  every  inch  of  this  muddy  route  had 
to  be  won  at  the  point  of  the  sword ;  and  it  was 
only  after  a  dreadful  conflict  of  four  days,  in  which 


Hernando  Dc  Soto. 


129 


ail  fought  and  many  fell,  that  the  troops  found 
then»oelves  safely  across  the  great  swamp. 

Aftc*  months  of  such  toilsome  marching,  the  cold 
weather  came  on.  A  halt  was  ordered  at  an  Indian 
village  called  Apalachee,  which  stood  on  the  site  of 
Tallahassee,  the  present  capital  of  Florida.  And 
there,"  in  the  midst  of  the  wilderness,  this  band  of 
adventurous  Spaniards  passed  the  winter  together." 
The  natives  of  this  region  proved  to  be  large,  fierce 
warriors  ;  and  in  spite  of  the  strict  discipline  of  the 
camp,  many  a  careless  cavalier  lost  his  life  and  scalp 
at  the  hands  of  prowling  war-parties. 

De  Soto  left  his  winter  quarters  in  March,  1540, 
and  proceeded  towards  the  north,  earnestly  bent  on 
finding  a  rich  region — some  imaginary  Peru  or 
Mexico.  "  For  month  after  month,  and  yea*-  after 
year,"  writes  Parkman,  "the  procession  of  priests 
and  cavaliers,  cross-bowmen,  arquebusiers,  and  In- 
dian captives  laden  with  the  baggage,  still  wandered 
on  through  wild  and  boundless  wastes,  lured  hither 
and  thither  by  the  ignis-fatiius  of  their  hopes. 

"  They  traversed  great  portions  of  Georgia,  Ala- 
bama, and  Mississippi,  everywhere  inflicting  and  en- 
during misery,  but  never  approaching,  their  phan- 
tom El  Dorado.  At  length,  in  the  tiHid  year  of 
their  journeying,  they  reached  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi,  a  hundred  and  thirty-two  years  before 
its  second  discovery  by  Marquette.  One  of  their 
number  describes  the  great  river  as  almost  half  a 


A 


■ '  \ 

1; 


'^:z 


130 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


league    wide,   deep,    rapid,   and    constantly  rolling 
down  trees  and  driftwood  on  its  turbid  current. 

"  The  Spaniards  crossed  over  at  a  point  ab 
the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas.  They  advanced  west- 
ward, but  found  no  treasures — nothing,  indeed, 
but  hardships  and  an  Indian  enemy,  furious,  writes 
one  of  their  officers,  'as  mad  dogs.'  They  heard  of 
a  country  towards  the  north  where  maize  could  not 
be  cultivated  because  the' vast  herds  of  wild  cattle 
devoured  it. 

"  They  penetrated  so  far  that  they  entered  the 
range  of  the  roving  prairie-tribes;  for,  one  day,  as 
they  pushed  their  way  with  difficulty  across  great 
plains  covered  with  tall,  rank  grass,  they  me' 
band  of  savages  who  dwelt  in  lodges  of  skin  se.. 
together,  subsisting  on  game  alone,  and  wandering 
perpetually  from  place  to  place.  Finding  neither 
gold  nor  the  South  Sea,  for  both  of  which  they  had 
hoped,  they  returned  to  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi.' 

A  short  time  before  this,  an  interesting  religious 
ceremony  occurred.  The  army  halted  at  an  Indian 
village,  and  the  chief  with  a  band  of  picked  war 
riors  came  forth.  *'  Sefior,'  said  he  to  De  S616, 
"  as  you  are  superior  to  us  in  prowess  and  surpass 
us  in  arms,  we  likewise  believe  that  your  God  is 
better  than  our  god.  These  you  behold  before  you  are 
the  chief  warriors  of  my  dominions.  We  implore 
you  to  pray  to  your  God  to  send  us  rain,  for  our 
fields  are  parched  for  want  of  water!" 


Hernando  Dc  Soto. 


»3' 


De  Soto  replied  that  he  and  all  his  followers 
were  sinners,  but  they  would  supplicate  the  God  of 
mercy.  A  large  pine  cross  was  made,  and  raised  on 
a  high  hill.  The  whole  army  formed  in  line,  and 
marched  in  solemn  procession  towards  the  sacred 
emblem  of  man's  salvation.  The  priests  walked  be 
fore,  chanting  the  Litany  of  the  Saints,  while  the 
soldiers  responded.  The  chief  took  his  place  be 
side  the  Governor,  and  thousands  of  Indians  crowded 
around.  Prayers  were  offered  up  at  tlie  cross, 
and  the  imposing  ceremony  closed  with  the  lofty 
strains  of  the  Te  Denm.  Rain  fell  the  next  night, 
to  the  great  joy  of  the  Indians. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  think  that,  over  three  centuries 
ago,  the  cross,  the  sign  of  our  holy  and  beautiful  re- 
ligion, was  planted  by  a  famous  Catholic  pioneer  on 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  that  its  silent  for- 
ests were  awakened  by  the  solemn  hymn  of  praise 
and  gratitude.  The  effect  was  vivid,  but  transitory. 
The  "  voice  cried  in  the  wilderness,"  and  reached 
and  was  answered  by  every  heart;  but  it  died  away 
and  was  forgotten,  and  was  not  heard  again  in  that 
savage  region  for  many  generations.' 

Three  years  of  unceasing  toil,  hardship,  and  dis- 
appointment now  began  to  tell  on  the  rugged  frame 
and  lofty  spirit  of  De  Soto.  Assailed  by  fresh  dis- 
asters, he  was  touched  to  the  heart  at  the  suffering 
of  his  diminished  but  faithful  followers.     A  raging 

■  Irvio([. 


■V' 


I 


m 


132 


T/w  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


fever  seized  him,  and  his  days  drew  rapidly  to  a 
close.  But  he  met  death  like  a  fearless  Catholic 
soldier.  He  made  his  will,  bade  an  affectionate 
adieu  to  his  officers  and  men,  and  having  made  a 
last  humble  confession,  his  soul  calmly  passed  away, 
amid  the  tears  of  the  whole  army,  on  the  21st  of 
May,  1542. 

"  And  thus  died  Hernando  de  Soto,"  writes  the 
historian  of  early  Florida — "  one  of  the  boldest  and 
bravest  of  the  many  brave  leaders  who  figured  in  the 
first  discoveries,  and  distinguished  themselves  in  the 
wild  warfare  of  the  Western  World.  How  proud 
and  promising  had  been  the  commencement  of  his 
career — how  humble  and  helpless  its  close!  Cut 
off  in  the  vigor  and  manhood  of  his  days,  he  was 
but  forty-two  years  old  when  he  expired."  He  was 
a  true  knight,  **  without  fear  and  without  reproach.' 

As  the  hostile  savages  might  dishonor  the  body 
of  the  Governor,  if  buried  on  land,  his  officers 
formed  a  new  design.  An  immense  oak  was  cut 
down.  A  space  large  enough  for  the  body  was 
scooped  out  of  the  trunk,  and  planks  nailed  over  the 
opening.  This  was  De  Soto's  coffin.  At  the  dead 
of  night,  in  the  midst  of  silence,  a  few  boats  were 
rowed  to  the  centre  of  the  river,  and  slowly  and 
sadly  the  rude  coffin  was  lowered  to  its  strange 
res^^ing-place.  As  ft  sank,  the  sorrowing  stream  took 
the  precious  remains  in  ^.'^v  to  its  breast.  The  dis- 
coverer of  the  great  river  slept  beneath  its  waters. 


Louis  Cancer  J  O.  S,  D. 


133 


•*  His  soldiers,"  writes  Bancroft,  "  pronounced  his 
eulogy;  and  the  priests  chanted  over  his  body  the 
first  requiem  that  was  ever  heard  on  the  waters  of 
the  Mississippi.' 


.:  "  1 


LOUIS  CANCER,  O.  S.  D., 

ONE  OF   THE  MARTYRS  OF  FLORIDA. 
Died  A.  D.  1549. 

THE  Spanish  missions  in  the  New  World  had 
their  Catholic  heroes — holy  pioneers,  who 
toiled  amid  the  poverty  and  hardship  of  the  wilder- 
ness, and  often  met  death  with  joy.  Father  Louis 
Cancer  was  one  of  them.  A  Dominican,  and  a 
native  of  Saragossa,  in  Spain,  he  began  his  labors  as 
a  missionary  among  the  Indians  of  Mexico. 

While  in  the  fallen  empire  of  Montezuma,  he 
heard  of  the  fierce  tribes  of  Florida,  and  ardently 
desired  to  preach  the  Gospel  among  them.  With 
three  members  of  his  Order,  he  landed  on  the 
western  shore  of  the  wild  peninsula,  on  Ascension 
Day.    1549.     The    priests   knelt'  amid    "the    forest 

1  Alter  more  hapless  wandering  and  disaster,  the  foUowers  of  De  Soto  built 
%  tew  rude  vessels,  and  found  their  way  to  Mexico. 


134 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


!  1 


I 


primeval,"  where  the  *'  murmuring  pines  and  the 
hemlocks  bearded  with  moss,  stood  like  Druids  of 
old,  with  voices  sad  and  prophetic."  They  recited 
a  litany,  and  recommended  their  enterprise  to  God. 
Leav^ing  Father  de  Peflalosa  to  establish  a  mission 
at  the  landing-place,  Father  Cancer  went  on  board 
the  vessel,  and  moved  down  along  the  coast  to 
Tampa  Bay.  Here  he  was  informed  by  a  Spaniard, 
who  lived  amongst  the  Indians,  that  Pefialosa  had 
been  murdered  by  the  treacherous  savages. 

The  natives  at  Tampa  Bay,  however,  seemed  very 
peaceable,  and  the  good  Father  at  once  determined 
to  preach  the  word  of  truth  to  them.  But  he  was 
soon  made  aware  that  the  apparently  good  disposi- 
tions of  this  people  were  not  to  be  reiied  upon.  "  I 
expected  nothing  less,"  he  said.  "  How  often  have  I 
reflected  on  the  execution  of  this  enterprise,  and  felt 
that  we  could  not  succeed  in  it  without  losing  much 
blood.  So  the  Apostles  did,  and  at  this  price  alone 
can  faith  and  religion  be  introduced." 

Father  Cancer  was  not  the  man  to  be  frightened 
by  danger,  and  he  bade  a  last  adieu  to  his  friends 
on  the  ship.  In  vain  did  they  beseech  him  not  to 
expose  his  valuable  life.  His  only  reply  was  :  "  This 
work  is  not  to  be  accomplished  without  blood!" 
He  landed.  As  he  proceeded  up  the  hilly  shore 
the  savages  surrounded  him,  took  off  his  hat,  and 
with  loud  cries  rushed  upon  the  heroic  son  of  St. 
Dominic,  who  fell  beneath,  their   clubs,   and   with 


yamei  Cartier, 


J35 


dying  lips  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  my  God  !"     His  precious 
death  occurred  on  the  25th  of  June,  1549. 

"  Ah  !  the  souls  of  saints  that  die, 
Are  but  sunbeams  lifted  higher." 

— Longfellow. 


LIS 


JAMES   CARTIER, 

THE  DISCOVERER  OF  CAN  A  DA  AND  THE  RIVER  ^  T.  LA  WRENCB. 

Died  about  A,  D.  1555, 

SEVENTY-FOUR  years  before  Henry  Hudson 
sailed  up  the  beautiful  river  that  bears  his 
name,  and  eighty-five  years  before  the  melancholy 
hymn  of  the  Puritan  announced  the  arrival  of  a  new 
race  at  Plymouth  Rock,  a  bold  Catholic  pioneer 
holding  aloft  the  banner  of  France,  had  erected 
crosses  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  pushed  his  way 
into  the  very  heart  of  the  savage  continent.  It 
was  James  Cartier. 

He  was  born  on  the  last  day  of  the  year  1494— • 
two  years  after  the  discovery  of  the  New  World — • 
of  a  good  family  in  France,  at  that  famous  seaport 
to  which  the  Irish  St.  MalogdiWQ  his  name.  Little 
is  known  of  his  early  years,  but  he  became  a  skilled 
navigator ;  and,  when  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Catherine  des  Granches,  the  daughter  of  a  knight, 
in  1 5 19,  he  had  reached  the  rank  of  master  pilot. 


136 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


The  dim  memory  of  Verrazano's  voyage  remained, 
and  France  still  thought  of  discovering  a  passage 
to  the  riches  of  India,  and  of  founding  a  colony 
beyond  the  seas.  Cartier  was  commissioned  to 
make  a  preparatory  exploration.  He  sailed  from 
St.  Malo  on  the  20th  of  April,  1534,  coasted  a 
portion  of  Newfoundland,  steered  through  the 
Strait  of  Belle  Isle,  crossed  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence, 
entered  the  Bay  of  Chaleurs,  passed  northward  to 
the  smaller  Bay  of  Gaspe,  and  there  took  possession 
of  the  country  in  the  name  of  Francis  I.  A  cross 
thirty  feet  high  was  erected  on  a  point  of  land.  It 
bore  the  arms  of  France  and  the  words  Vive  le  Rot 
de  France,  "  Long  live  the  King  of  France.'  After 
some  further  exploration  of  the  Gulf,  Cartier  turned 
the  prows  of  his  ships  homeward,  and  arrived  at  St. 
Malo  in  September. 

"  The  spirit  of  discovery,"  writes  Parkman,  **  was 
awakened.  A  passage  to  India  could  be  found,  and 
a  new  France  built  up  beyond  the  Atlantic.  Min- 
gled with  such  views  of  interest  and  ambition  was 
another  motive  scarcely  less  potent.  The  heresy  of 
Luther  was  convulsing  Germany,  and  the  deeper 
heresy  of  Calvin  infecting  France.  Devout  Catho- 
lics, kindling  with  redoubled  zeal,  would  fain  requite 
the  Church  for  her  losses  in  the  Old  World  by  win- 
ning to  her  fold  the  infidels  of  the  New." 

Three  small  vessels  were  equipped  for  a  new  ex- 
oedition.      Cartier  "  was  a  man  of  deep   religious 


James  Cartier. 


m 


X- 

|us 


feeling,**  and,  in  imitation  of  Columbus,  before  de- 
parting, he  assembled  his  officers  and  crews  in  the 
Cathedral  of  St.  Malo,  on  Whit-Sunday,  the  i6th 
of  May,  1535.  All  went  to  confession,  received 
Holy  Communion,  and  after  Mass  the  Bishop  gave 
them  his  solemn  blessing.  Two  Benedictine  Fathers, 
Dom  William  and  Dom  Anthony,  accompanied  the 
expedition  as  chaplains : 

'   In  the  seaport  of  St.  Malo,  'twas  a  smiling  morn  in  May, 
When  the  Commodore  James  Cartie/  to  the  westward  sailed  away. 
In  the  crowded  old  Cathedral  all  the  town  were  on  their  knees, 
For  the  safe  return  of  kinsmen  from  the  undiscovered  seas  ; 
And  every  bitter  blast  that  swept  o'er  pinnacle  and  pier. 
Filled  manly  hearts  with  sorrow,  and  gentle  hearts  with  fear." 

After  a  stormy  pasi,age,  Cartier  entered  a  small 
bay  opposite  the  island  of  Anticosti,  on  the  north 
shore  of  the  gulf  he  had  explored  twelve  months  be- 
fore. It  was  the  loth  of  August,  the  feast  of  the 
holy  martyr  St.  Lawrence,  and  he  "called  it  the 
Bay  of  St.  Lawrence,  a  name  afterwards  extended 
to  the  entire  gulf  and  to  the  great  river  above." 

The  little  squadron  took  its  way  up  the  lonely 
majestic  stream,  whose  savage  grandeur  must  have 
deeply  impressed  the  Frenchmen.  At  length,  they 
came  to  a  point  where  bold  towering  cliHs,  three 
hundred  feet  high,  thrust  themselves  into  the  river, 
narrowing  its  channel,  and  standing  like  grim  senti- 
nels appointed  to  guard  its  waters.  Here  a  dusky 
chief  named  Donnacona  ruled  over  the  Indian  vil- 


w^ 


r\ 


"38 


77ie  CatJiolic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


lage  of  Stadacon^  ;  and  here,  in  later  years,  Quebec, 
the  rock-built  capital  of  Canada,  reared  its  frowning 
battlements. 

Donnacona  visited  the  ships,  attended  by  a  fleet 
of  canoes.  Cartier  entertained  him  with  bread  and 
wine,  and  the  greasy  ruler  was  overjoyed.  When 
the  French  commander  went  ashore,  he  was  received 
with  delight.  Squaws  and  warriors  danced  before 
him  ;  and,  when  he  distributed  beads  and  knives,  the 
simple  creatures  made  the  hills  echo  with  their  songs 
and  merriment. 

Cartier  learned  that  a  greater  village  named 
Hochelaga  lay  further  up  the  river  ;  and  as  soon  as 
he  found  a  safe  harbor  for  his  ships,  he  set  out  for 
it  in  two  boats  and  a  pinnace.  The  Frenchmen 
pushed  up  the  St.  Lawrence  for  nearly  two  weeks 
before  they  came  to  the  object  of  their  search. 
They  were  warmly  welcomed.  The  village  of 
Hochelaga  was  built  on  a  large  island.  It  was  cir- 
cular in  form,  "and  three  rows  of  palisades  inclosed 
in  it  about  fifty  tunnel-shaped  cabins,  each  over 
fifty  paces  long,  and  fourteen  or  fifteen  paces  wide. 
It  was  entered  by  a  single  gate,  above  which,  as 
well  as  along  the  first  palisade,  ran  a  kind  of 
gallery,  reached  by  ladders,  and  well  provided  with 
stones  and  pieces  of  rock  for  the  defence  of  the 
place." ' 

When  Cartier  and  his  men  entered  this 


igul 


•  Charlevoix. 


James  Cartier. 


139 


metropolis  of  dusky  power,  they  were  led  to  an 
open  square  in  the  centre  of  the  village.  The 
squaws  beheld  them  with  wonder,  rubbed  their 
hands  and  faces,  cried  with  delight,  and  brought 
their  children  to  be  touched  by  the  mysterious 
strangers.  Mats  were  spread  on  the  ground  for  the 
Frenchmen,  and  the  warriors  seated  themselves 
around. 

The  chief  was  then  borne  by  ten  men  on  a  litter 
and  placed  on  a  mat  next  to  Cartier  He  seemed 
to  be  about  fifty  years  of  age,  and  had  no  mark  of 
distinction  but  a  cap  ornamented  with  porcupine's 
quills  dyed  red.  He  took  it  off,  and  gave  it  to  the 
Captain,  requesting  him  to  rub  his  arms  and  legs, 
which  trembled  with  the  palsy.  A  crowd  of  sick, 
blind,  and  lame  now  crowded  around — all  wishing 
to  be  relieved  of  their  miseries. 

"The  simplicity  of  these  people,"  writes  Charle- 
voix, "touched  the  Captain,  who,  arming  himself 
with  a  lively  faith,  recited  with  all  possible  devo- 
tion the  beginning  of  the  Gospel  of  St.  John.  lie 
then  made  the  Sign  of  the  Cross  on  the  sick,  and 
gave  them  Beads  and  Agnus  Deis.  This  done,  he 
began  to  pray,  and  earnestly  besought  the  Lord  not 
to  leave  these  poor  idolaters  longer  in  the  hades  of 
unbelief.  Then  he  recited  aloud  the  whole  passion 
of  Jesus  Christ.  This  was  heard  with  great  atten- 
tion and  respect  by  all  present,  and  the  pious  cere- 
mony was  closed  by  a  blast  of  trumpets,  which  put 


%  I 


ii 


140 


The  Cat  italic  Pioneers  of  America. 


II 


I  ?i 


|!   ' 


these    Indians   beside    themselves    with    joy  and 
wonder." 

A  magnificent  hill  looked  down  on  the  village, 
and  that  was  the  next  point  visited  by  Cartier.  On 
reaching  the  top,  he  was  charmed,  and  called  it 
Mount  Royal — Montreal.  The  name  is  now  well 
known.  "  From  the  summit,"  says  an  American 
historian,  •'  that  noble  prospect  met  his  eye  which  at 
this  day  Is  the  delight  of  tourists,  but  strangely 
changed,  since,  first  of  white  men,  the  Breton  voy- 
ager gazed  upon  it.  Tower  and  dome  and  spire, 
congregated  roofs,  white  sail  and  gliding  steamer, 
animate  its  vast  expanse  with  varied  life. 

**  Cartier  saw  a  different  scene.  East,  west,  and 
south,  the  mantling  forest  was  over  all,  and  the 
broad  blue  ribbon  of  the  great  river  glistened  amid 
a  realm  of  verdure.  Beyond,  to  the  bounds  of 
Mexico,  stretched  a  leafy  desert;  and  the  vast  hive 
of  industry,  the  mighty  battle  ground  of  later  cen- 
turies, lay  sunk  in  savage  torpor,  wrapped  in  illimit- 
able woods."' 

The  French  departed  from  Hochelaga  amid  the 
regrets  of  the  kindly  savages,  and  their  arrival  at 
Stadacon^  was  hailed  with  pleasure.  Cartier  de- 
cided to  pass  the  winter  there.  The  ships  were 
properly  secured.  Cold  set  in.  Jack  Frost  threw  an 
ice-bridge  across  the  river,  and  the  snow  fell  in  more 
than  abundance.     In  short,  all  the  rigors  of  aCana- 

'  Parkman. 


Jumes  Car  tier. 


141 


dian  winter  had  to  be  endured.  Nor  was  this  all. 
Scurvy  soon  added  its  appalling  horrors  to  the 
miseries  of  the  ice-bound  Frenchmen.  A  good 
number  died,  and  dozens  were  stricken  down.  The 
flinty  ground  denied  the  dead  a  burying-place,  and 
the  corpses  had  to  be  hidden  in  the  huge  snow- 
drifts ! 

In  this  woeful  distress,  Cartier,  with  the  piety  of  a 
brave  son  of  the  Ancient  Faith,  implored  the  pro- 
tection of  Heaven.  "  Our  Captain,"  says  the  ac- 
count of  the  voyage,  **  seeing  the  misery  and  malady 
thus  spread,  summoned  all  to  prayer  and  devotion. 
He  caused  an  image  in  remembrance  of  the  Virgin 
Mary  to  be  borne  over  the  snow  and  ice  and  set  up 
against  a  tree,  a  bow-shot  distant  from  our  fort  ; 
and  he  ordered  that,  on  the  Sunday  following.  Mass 
should  be  celebrated  at  the  said  place,  and  that  all 
those  who  could  walk,  both  sick  and  well,  should 
go  in  procession,  singing  the  Seven  Psalms  of  David, 
with  the  Litany,  praying  the  said  Virgin  that  it 
would  please  her  dear  Child  to  have  pity  on  us. 
The  Mass  said  and  celebrated  before  the  said  image, 
the  Captain  declared  himself  a  pilgrim  to  Our  Lady 
of  Roquemado,  promising  to  go  there  if  it  pleased 
God  to  permit  him  to  return  to  France." 

Shortly  after  this,  Cartier  learned  of  a  remedy  for 
scurvy  from  one  of  the  savages.  It  "was  a  decoc- 
tion of  the  leaves  and  bark  of  the  white  pine, 
pounded  together."     The  poor,  bloated,  woebegone 


142 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


I 
I 


!!■   u. 


mariners  drank  the  disagreeable  medicine,  and  its 
effects  were  surprising — all  were  soon  restored  to 
good  health.  When  the  sun  of  May  broke  the  icy- 
fetters  that  bound  the  ships,  and  drove  the  vast 
masses  of  ice  down  the  river,  the  French  com- 
mander took  formal  possession  of  the  country  by 
erecting  a  cross  thirty-five  feet  high,  bearing  the 
arms  of  France  and  the  inscription  —  Francisciis 
Primus,  Dei  Gratia,  Francornin  Rex,  regnat,  "  Francis 
the  First,  by  the  grace  of  God,  King  of  France, 
reigns."  The  sails  were  spread  on  the  6th  of  May, 
and  Cartier  steered  for  home.  Donnacona  and  two 
Indians  were  on  board.  St.  Malo  was  reached  in 
July,  1536. 

Cartier  gave  a  good  account  of  the  strange  coun- 
try beyond  the  Atlantic,  and  the  mighty  river  that 
swept  past  Hochelaga  and  Stadacone.  Though  the 
times  were  unfavorable,- a  new  expedition  was  fitted 
out.  Roberval,  a  nobleman,  was  appointed  Governor 
of  Canada.  Cartier  received  the  post  of  Captain- 
General,  and  in  May,  1541,  he  steered  for  the  banks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  with  a  squadron  of  five  vessels. 
Roberval  was  detained  in  France. 

Summer  was  fading  away  when  the  French  began 
to  form  a  settlement  and  build  a  fort  some  leasfues 
above  Stadacon^,  Cartier  himself  went  up  the 
river,  and  explored  the  rapids  above  Hochelaga. 
He  returned  in  November.  Roberval  had  not  come. 
The  settlers  prepared  for  winter,  and,  no  doubt,  they 


James  Cartier. 


143 


had  a  hard  time  of  it  before  spring  appeared  ;  for  as 
soon  as  the  ships  could  drop  down  the  river,  the 
disgusted  colonists  packed  their  trunks,  and  set  sail 
for  France.  On  arriving,  however,  at  the  harbor  of 
St.  John,  in  Newfoundland,  they  met  Roberval,  who 
was  on  his  way  with  three  ships  to  establish  a  colony 
in  Canada.  Cartier  refused  to  return,  and  bore  away 
for  France. 

And  what  became  of  the  ill-starred  colony?  It 
had  a  brief  existence.  The  King  sent  Cartier  to 
bring  home  the  survivors,  as  he  needed  the  services 
of  Roberval. 

And  here  abruptly  closes  the  public  career  of  the 
discoverer  of  Canada.  He  was  ennobled,  retired  tc 
his  estate,  near  St.  Malo  ;  and  when  he  died,  about 
1555,  the  wild  Indian  was  still  sole  master  of  the 
vast  country  watered  by  the  St.  Lawrence.  Cartier 
had  pointed  out  the  way.  It  remained  for  a  more 
renowned  Catholic  pioneer — a  man  of  a  later  genera- 
tion— to  begin  in  real  earnest  the  work  of  found- 
ing a  nation  which  to-day  holds  a  conspicuous 
place  on  the  map  of  North  America. 


144 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  A  merica. 


JOHN   AND   SEBASTIAN   CABOT, 

THE  DlSCOVERKKSOl'  NEWFOUNDLAND,  THE  CUI.EOEST.  LAfV- 
FENCE,  A  ND  THE  MA  INI.  A  ND  OF  NOR  Til  A  MERICA . 

Dads  of  death  arc  unknown, 

EBASTIAN  CABOT,  the  son  of  John  Ca- 
bot, an  accomplished  merchant  of  Venic*^, 
in  Italy,  was  born  at  Bristol,  in  England, 
during  the  residence  of  his  parents  there,  about  the 
year  1477.  "  Sebastian  Cabot  told  me,"  says  Eden, 
"  that  he  was  born  in  Bristol,  and  that,  at  four 
years  of  age,  he  went  with  his  father  to  Venice, 
and  so  returned  again  into  England  with  his  father, 

whereby   he   was   thought   to   have   been  born  in 

V»t 
enice. 

Young  Cabot  was  but  fifteen  years  of  age  when 
Columbus  discovered  the  New  World.  This  splendid 
achievement  aroused  the  spirit  of  enterprise.  If 
Spain  had  gained  the  prize  of  a  continent.  Fr.  ice 
and  England  felt  they  should  make  an  p^'  ^;t  to 
get  something.  John  Cabot,  his  son  Seb  an,  and 
his  other  sons  obtained  a  commission  of  Hmry  VII. 
to  make  a  voyage  of  discovery.  They  were  cm- 
powered  by  the  selfish,  close-fisted  old  King  *' to 
sail  to  all  ports  of  east,  west,  and  north,  under  the 


John  and  Sebastian  Cabot, 


»45 


royal  banners  and  ensigns ;  to  discover  countries  of 
the  heathen  unknown  to  Christians;  to  set  up  the 
King's  banners  there  ,  and  to  occupy  and  possess  as 
his  subjects  such  places  as  they  could  subdue,"  on 
condition  of  paying  to  Henry  one  fifth  of  all  the 
profits. 

Little  is  positively  known  of  this  voyage.  John 
Cabot  and  his  three  sons — the  most  skilled  and 
scientific  of  whom  was  Sebastian — sailed  from  Bristol 
in  a  vessel  called  The  Matthew,  in  May,  1497.  After 
battling  with  the  billows  of  the  Atlantic  for  six  or 
seven  weeks,  and  dodging  many  a  treacherous  ice- 
berg, the  hardy  Catholic  Pioneers  came  in  sight  of 
an  island  early  in  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  June. 
Cabot  called  it  St.  John,  because  the  discovery  was 
•  made  on  the  festival  of  St.  John  the  Baptist. 

"  The  inhabitants  of  this  island,"  says  an  account 
of  the  voyage,  "  wear  the  skins  of  beasts.  In  their 
wars  they  use  bows,  arrows,  pikes,  darts,  wooden 
clubs,  and  slings.  The  soil  is  barren  in  some  places 
and  yieldeth  little  fruit ;  but  is  full  of  white  bears 
and  stags — far  greater  than  ours.  It  yields  plenty 
of  fish,  and  those  very  great,  as  seals  and  salmons. 
There  are  soles  above  a  yard  in  length  :  but  espe- 
cially there  is  great  abundatice  of  that  kind  of  fish 
which  the  savages  call  Baccalao.^  In  the  same  island 
are  hawks  and  eagles,  as  black  as  ravens,  and  par- 
tridges.   The  inhabitants  had  plenty  of  copper." 

I  Codfish. 


ii 


1 

\ 


146 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  0/  America. 


It  is  almost  certain  that  the  island  thus  described 
was  Cape  Breton  Island,  which  lies  northeast  of 
Nova  Scotia.  There  is  a  copy  of  a  planisphere  by 
Sebastian  Cabot,  in  the  National  Library  of  France, 
and  it  is  said  to  show  distinctly  that  the  first  land 
discovered  was  Cape  North  of  Cape  Breton  Island. 
After  cruising  for  some  time  around  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence,  the  Cabots  bore  away  towards  the  north, 
passed  through  the  Strait  of  Belleisle — the  course 
taken  to-day  by  the  Canadian  mail  steamers — and, 
feeling  that  provisions  were  beginning  to  run  short, 
they  sailed  for  England,  and  safely  reached  home  in 
August.  This  voyage  had  no  practical  result — 
though  the  foundation  of  England's  claim  to  her 
North  American  possessions—and  it  seems  that  a 
few  years  later  on   the  venerable  John  Cabot  died,  . 

In  1 5 12,  King  Ferdinand  invited  Sebastian  Cabot 
to  fill  the  important  office  of  Chief  Pilot,  left  vacant  by 
the  death  of  the  famous  Americus  Vespucius.  He 
accepted  the  invitation  of  the  Sp  nish  monarch,  and 
was  warmly  welcomed  at  Court. 

An  old  contemporary  writer  quaintly  describes 
Cabot,  as  "  so  valiant  a  man  and  fowell  practised  in 
all  things  pertaining  *3  navigation  and  the  science 
of  cosmography,  that  at  this  present  he  has  not  his 
equal  in  Spain,  iniiomuch  that  for  his  virtue  he  is 
prefL^rred  before  all  other  pilots  tnat  sail  to  the  West 
Indies,  who  cannot  pass  there  without  his  license, 
and  is  therefore  called  the  Grand  Pilot." 


John  and  Sebastian  Cabot. 


147 


During  15 15,  he  was  engaged  in  revising  maps  and 
charts,  in  connection  with  the  duties  of  his  office, 
and  in  planning  a  northwest  passage  to  China  and 
the  East  Indies,  which,  however,  was  laid  aside  on 
account  of  the  death  of  Ferdinand  in  the  year  fol- 
lowing. Caboi,,  'ike  Columbus,  seems  to  have  been 
no  favorite  with  the  Court  parasites,  and  he  was 
now  subjected  to  a  series  of  contemptible  annoy- 
ances. 

This  usage  induced  the  great  navigator  to  return 
to  England;  and,  in  15 17,  he  was  appointed  by 
Henry  VIII.  to  command  an  expedition  to  the 
nortacni  latitudes  ot  the  New  World.  Me  entered 
Hudson  Bay,  over  a  century  before  Henry  Hudson, 
and  gave  names  to  several  places.  But  the  voyage 
proved  a  failure,  owing  to  the  malice  or  cowardice 
of  his  chief  officer.  Sir  Thomas  Perte. 

Cabot  again  directed  his  steps  to  Spain,  and  was 
made  Grand  Pilot  by  Charles  V.  It  was  during  this 
period  of  life  that  he  examined  the  coast  of  Brazil, 
passed  along  to  the  great  Rio  de  la  Plata,  and  ex- 
plored it  for  some  hundreds  of  miles,  with  the  object 
of  founding  a  colony.  He  then  returned  to  Spain* 
where  he  remained  for  many  years. 

When  over  seventy  years  of  age,  the  veteran  once 
more  landed  in  England,  where  he  was  well  received 
by  young  Edward  VI.,  who  gave  him  a  pension,  and 
made  him  Inspector  of  the  Navy.  Almost  the  last 
account  we   have  of  him  refers  to  a  visit  which  he 


148 


TJie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


paid,  in  the  spring  of  1556,  to  a  vessel  about  to  sail 
on  a  voyage  of  discovery. 

**  The  27th  of  April,  being  Monday,  the  right 
worshipful  Sebastian  Cabot  came  aboard  our  pin- 
nace at  Gravesend,  accompanied  by  many  gentle- 
men and  gentlewomen,  who,  after  they  had  viewed 
our  pinnace,  and  tasted  of  such  cheer  as  we  could 
make  them,  went  ashore,  giving  to  our  mariners 
right  liberal  rewards.  The  good  old  gentleman, 
Master  Cabot,  gave  to  the  poor  most  liberal  alms, 
wishing  them  to  pray  for  the  good  fortune  and  pros- 
perous  success   of   the    Search  thrifty   our  pinnace. 

"And  then,  at  the  sign  of  St.  Christopher,  he  and 
his  friends  banqueted,  and  made  me  and  them  that 
were  in  the  company  great  cheer ;  and  for  very  joy 
that  \vi  had  to  see  the  towardness  of  our  intended 
discovery,  he  entered  into  the  dance  himself,  among 
the  rest  of  the  young  and  hearty  company,  which 
being  ended  he  and  his  friends  departed,  most  gently 
commending  us  to  the  guidance  of  Almighty  God." 

At  this  time  the  venerable  navigator  was  nearly 
eighty  years  of  age.  He  was  still  alive  in  1557,  but 
the  date  of  his  death  is  unknown.  He  is  often  re- 
ferred to  as  "the  good  old  man."  His  gentle  kind- 
ness  and  love  of  maritime  adventure  perished  only 
with  his  last  breath.  Referring  to  the  deep  im- 
pression that  the  discovery  of  the  New  World  by 
Columbus  made  at  the  English  Court,  he  stated 
that  '•  all  men  with  great  admiration  said  that  it  was 


John  and  Sebastian  Cabot, 


149 


itly 


a  thing  more  divine  than  human."  The  spirit  of 
faith  was  yet  alive.  It  was  then  also  that  he  made 
up  his  mind  to  imitate  the  illustrious  Admiral,  and 
devote  his  life  to  navigation. 

John  and  Sebastian  Cabot  are  justly  renowned 
Catholic  Pioneers ;  but  there  is  no  good  reason  why 
their  discoveries  should  be  magnified  at  the  expense 
of  the  truth.  This  has  been  done  again  and  again, 
by  a  nation  noted  for  its  grasping  policy,  and  its 
host  of  lying  and  insolent  writers.  When  England 
planted  large  colc.iies  in  what  is  now  the  United 
States  of  America,  she  founded  her  right  of  posses- 
sion on  the  discoveries  of  Cabot.  But  as  he  never 
touched  this  soil,  the  claim  was  a  fiction.  It  is  cer- 
that  he  never  saw  an  inch  of  the  coast  from  Maine 
to  Florida.  There  is  no  evidence  to  prove  that  he 
sailed  south  of  Nova  Scotia.  In  short,  as  Brevoort 
well  remarks,  "  Cabot  himself  never  published  any 
such  statement." 


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The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A nurica. 


li  W^ 


PETER  MARTINEZ,  S.  J., 

THE  FIRST  JESUIT  WHO  LANDED  IN  THE  xXElV  WORLD, 

Died  A.  D.  1565. 

ATHER  PETER  MARTINEZ, superior  of 
the  first  band  of  Jesuits  that  trod  the  soil  of 
America,  was  born  in  1533  at  Ferue!,  a  little 
village  in  the  north  of  Spain.  Wh"le  yet  a  mere  boy, 
he  consecrated  himself  to  Heaven  by  a  vow  of  perpet- 
ual chastity.  He  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus — for 
which  at  first  he  felt  an  aversion — and  soon  became 
noted  for  virtue  and  learning. 

When  Menendez  undertook  the  conquest  of 
Florida,  in  1565,  he  asked  and  obtained  some  Jesuit 
missionaries.  Father  Martinez  was  appointed  su- 
perior. Owing  to  an  unexpected  delay,  however, 
the  Fathers  did  not  sail  with  the  Admiral,  but 
took  passage,  several  months  later,  in  another  ex- 
pedition. Before  departing.  Father  Martinez  ad- 
dressed a  long  letter  to  the  celebrated  St.  Francis 
Borgia,  then  General  of  the  Society  of  Jesus, 

"  By  the  mercy  of  God,"  he  writes,  "  I  undertake 
this  voyage  with  courage,  and  with  entire  confidence 
in  His  grace,  having  often  devoted  my  life  and  my 
blood  to  His  service  in  the  mission  which  obedience 


Peter  Martinez,  S.  J, 


ISI 


assigns  me.  Rest  assured,  dear  Father,  that  we 
shall  employ  all  our  strength,  with  the  assistance  of 
divine  grace,  in  bringing  those  provinces  to  the 
knowledge  of  their  Creator  and  Redeemer — that  the 
souls  redeemed  by  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  may  not  perish  forever.  .  .  . 

*'  Gladly,  indeed,  would  we  have  received  the  bene- 
diction of  our  most  Holy  Father  Pius  V.,  humbly 
prostrate  at  his  feet.  But  as  this  was  not  in  our 
power,  we  were  sufficiently  consoled  by  the  letter 
which  informed  us  that  he  wished  us  well,  and, 
though  absent,  conferred  upon  us  especial  favors ; 
and  your  Paternity  can  assure  him,  in  our  name,  that 
besides  myself — who  am  bound  to  him  by  the  vow 
of  my  profession — faithful  sons  of  the  Holy  Roman 
Church  are  about  to  depart  for  the  acquisition  of  a 
new  flock,  for  which  end  they  are  ready,  with  the 
aid  of  divine  grace,  to  shed  their  blood  ;  and  they 
will  account  it  a  very  great  favor  of  God  to  lay 
down  their  lives  for  the  spiritual  advancement  of 
those  whom  they  may  gain  to  Christ." 

When  the  vessel  in  which  the  Fathers  sailed 
approached  the  coast  of  Florida,  it  separated  from 
the  rest  of  the  squadron,  taking  a  northern  direction. 
The  Captain  on  nearing  the  shore  desired  a  few  men 
to  land  in  a  yawl,  and  explore  the  country.  All 
refused  to  hazard  their  lives  among  the  fierce 
savages.  Finally,  about  a  dozen  Belgians  and  Span- 
iards offered  to  comply,  in  case   Father   Martinez 


PIP 


152 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


4il 


\       % 


•J    i 


was  allowed  to  accompany  them.  He  was  informed 
of  this.  The  fearless  priest,  moved  by  charity,  was 
the  first  to  leap  into  the  boat.  The  exploring  party 
landed,  but  had  scarcely  done  so,  when  a  sudden 
storm  arose,  driving  the  ship  which  they  had  left 
far  from  the  shore. 

The  position  of  the  castaways  was  extremely 
perilous.  Far  and  wide  nothing  met  their  gaze 
but  a  dreary  wilderness — on  one  side  the  rough 
and  threatening  ocean,  on  the  other  vast  and  un- 
known solitudes  !  On  this  savage  coast  they  waited 
ten  days,  thinking  that  perhaps  some  other  vessel 
might  present  itself.  "  Occasionally  they  wandered 
about,"  says  Tanner,  "  to  gather  a  few  herbs,  Father 
Martinez  at  their  head,  bearing  the  image  of  Christ 
crucified,  and,  as  some  of  his  companions  afterwards 
related,  performing  prodigies  of  chanty." 

Would  space  permit,  pages  might  be  filled  with 
the  adventures  of  the  brave  JesuiL  and  his  sorely- 
tried  companions  in  their  efforts  to  reach  a  Spanish 
settlement.  At  one  of  the  rivers  which  they  crossed, 
the  kindness  of  Father  Martinez  in  waiting  for  two 
tardy  Belgians  caused  his  own  death.  Rushing  to 
the  boat,  a  troop  of  hostile  savages  seized  the  heroic 
priest,  forced  him  on  shore,  and  began  their  murder- 
ous work.  With  hands  uplifted  to  Heaven,  he  re-  * 
ceived  the  repeated  blows  of  a  heavy  club  until  life 
was  extinct !  His  death  occurred  on  the  28th  of 
September,  1566,  within  about  three  leagues  of  the 


th 


'O 

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fe 

of 


Bartholomew  Las  Casas,  O.  S.  D. 


15.S 


mouth  of  the  St.  John's  River.  And  thus  the  good 
and  fearless  Father  Peter  Martinez,  the  first  Jesuit 
who  stepped  on  the  soil  of  America,  baptized  it  with 
his  martyr-blood ! 


BARTHOLOMEW  LAS  CASAS,  O.  S.  D., 

•"THE  FIRST  PRIEST  ORDAINED  IN   THE  NEW  WORLD,  PrtOTEC 
TOR  OF  THE  INDIANS,  AND  BISHOP  OF  CHI  A  PA  IN  MEXICO. 

Died  A.  D.  1566. 

BARTHOLOMEW  LAS  CASAS,  the  renowned 
missionary  and  friend  of  the  poor  Indians,  was 
born  in  the  year  1474,  at  Seville,  in  Spain.  He  be- 
longed to  a  family  of  French  origin.  While  the  young 
man  was  pursuing  his  studies  at  the  University  of 
Salamanca,  his  father — who  had  accompanied  Colum- 
bus in  his  second  voyage  to  the  New  World — made 
him  a  gift  of  an  Indian,  who  acted  for  some  time  as 
his  servant.  But  the  generous  Isabella  soon  pub-^ 
lished  a  decree,  giving  freedom  to  all  Indians  in 
Spain.  The  piousstudent  at  once  joyfully  liberated 
his  dusky  servant,  "and  sent  him  back  to  his  na 
tive  land  loaded  with  presents."  Thus  it  happened 
that  the  unflinching  advocate  of  human  freedom 
had  once  been  the  owner  of  a  slave  himself,  and 
that  he  had  made  the  familiar  acquaintance  of   a 


•54 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


simple  son  of  the  forest  at  that  happy  period  of 
life  when  the  mind  is  open  to  receive  deep  and 
lasting  impressions. 

In  1502,  Las  Casas  accompanied  Ovando  in  his 
expedition  to  Hispaniola,  and  eight  years  later  he 
was  ordained  priest — the  first,  it  is  said,  who  was 
raised  to  that  sacred  dignity  in  the  New  World. 
When  the  Spaniards  conquered  Cuba,  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  a  parish  in  a  small  settlement.  It  was 
here  that  he  began  to  signalize  himself  in  favor  of 
the  oppressed  Indians,  and  to  raise  his  voice  in  ac- 
cents of  holy  indignation  against  the  crimes  of  his 
own  countrymen. 

At  this  period,  under  the  title  of  rcpartimientos  ox 
distributions,  whole  districts  of  the  newly-found 
countries  were  held  by  Spanish  noblemen  or  adven- 
turers. The  poor  savages  were  divided  with  the 
lands,  which  they  were  compelled  to  cultivate.  They 
had  also  to  dig  in  the  mines,  or  hunt  the  rivers  for 
precious  stones.  So  hard  were  their  cruel  task- 
masters that  the  native  race  began  to  wither  away. 
-It  was  a  diabolical  systen. 

"  The  Indians  were  coupled  together  like  beasts 
of  burden,"  says  Charlevoix,  "  and  when  forced  to 
carry  loads  wholly  beyond  their  strength,  they  were 
urged  forward  by  the  lash.  On  falling  from  exhaus- 
tion, a  vigorous  use  of  the  whip  obliged  them  to 
rise.  A  colonist,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  rarely 
wen.t  any  distance  from  his  house,  except  when 
borne  in  a  litter  by  two  Indians. 


Bartholomeiv  Las   Casas,  O.  S.  D. 


155 


"There  was  no  scruple  made  of  separating  husband 
and  wife — the  man  being  sent  to  the  mines,  from 
which  he  seldom  returned,  and  the  woman  being 
employed  in  the  cultivation  of  the  lands.  While 
engaged  in  this  severe  labor  they  were  all  forced  to 
live  on  roots  and  herbs.  To  see  them  die  of  such 
violence  and  of  pure  fatigue  was  an  ordinat-y  spec- 
tacle." 

"  1  have  found  many  dead  on  the  road,"  says  Las 
Casas,  "others  gasping  under  the  trees,  and  others 
in  the  pangs  of  death,  faintly  crying,  hunger! 
hunger!" 

The  good  priest  was  touched  to  the  heart  at  the 
sight  of  such  shameful  scandals  and  appalling 
injustice.  How  could  religion  make  any  progress? 
It  was  mockery  indeed  to  expect  that  the  Indians 
would  sincerely  embrace  the  Christian  Religion — the 
faith  of  their  heartless  and  tyrannical  oppressors. 

To  oppose  the  cruel  system  of  repartimicntos, 
Father  Las  Casas  went  to  Spain,  where  he  prevailed 
on  Cardinal  Ximenes  to  send  a  commission  of 
inquiry  to  the  West  Indies  ;  but  the  work  of  the 
commission  was  far  from  satisfying  his  zeal,  and  lie 
revisited  Spain  to  procure  the  adoption  of  still 
stronger  measures  for  the  protection  of  the  natives. 
He  was  honored  with  the  title  of  Protector -General 
of  the  Indians,  and  his  exertions  in  their  behalf  were 
unceasing. 

He  carried  his  cause  before  Charles  V.,  and  as  \\% 


h. 


■56 


llie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


had  warm  opponents,  the  Emperor  first  heard  the 
spokesman  of  the  opposition.  When  the  turn  of 
Las  Casas  came,  he  arose  with  dignity  and  presented 
the  rights  of  the  Indians  in  a  discourse  of  great 
vigor  and  eloquence.  "  The  Christian  Reh'gion,"  he 
concluded,  "  is  equal  in  its  operation,  and  is  accom- 
modated to  every  nation  on  the  globe.  It  robs  no 
one  of  his  freedom,  violates  none  of  his  inherent 
rights  on  the  ground  that'he  is  a  slave  by  nature, 
as  pretended  ;  and  it  well  becomes  youi"  Majesty  to 
banish  so  monstrous  an  oppression  from  your 
kingdoms  in  the  beginning  of  your  reign,  that  the 
Almighty  may  make  it  long  and  glorious." 

Las  Casas  gained  his  point.  In  1 520,  he  attempted 
to  form  a  settlement  of  Castilian  peasants  in  the 
West  Indies,  with  the  view  of  giving  more  complete 
effect  to  his  designs  in  behalf  of  the  Indians;  but 
unhappily,  he  had  to  contend  against  such  a  host  of 
difficulties  that  his  plan  ended  in  failure.  He  had 
hitherto  been  a  secular  priest.  He  now  retired  to 
the  Dominican  convent  in  Hispaniola,  and  became  a 
son  of  St.  Dominic.  His  well  spent  time  was 
divided  between  spiritual  duties,  missions,  and  the 
composition  of  various  famous  works  relating  to 
the  New  World  and  the  cause  of  his  dear  Indians. 
He  traversed  Mexico,  Peru,  Guatemala,  and  other 
vast  countries,  everywhere  exercising  the  double 
functions  of  missionary  apostolic  and  Protector  of 
the  Indians. 


BartholoiHL'iv  Las  Casus,  O.  S.  D. 


157 


c 


The  venerable  priest  refused  the  rich  bishopric  of 
Cusco,  in  Peru  ;  but,  at  length,  he  was  persuaded 
to  accept  the  poor  see  of  Chiapa,  in  a  wild  province 
of  Mexico.  He  was  near  seventy  years  of  age 
when  he  began  his  episcopal  labors.  How  he  toiled 
and  suffered,  and  battled  for  the  rights  of  the  red 
man,  and  pointed  out  the  road  to  heaven  with 
dauntless  courage,  cannot  be  told  here. 

In  1 55 1,  the  great  Bishop  resigned  his  s?e.  He 
crossed  the  Atlantic  for  the  last  time,  retired  to 
the  Monastery  of  Atocha,  at  Madrid,  where  he 
spent  many  years  in  preparing  his  soul  for  that 
blessed  end  which  came  in  July,  1566.  He  died  at 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two,  and  his  faculties 
were  unimpaired  to  the  last. 

Las  Casas  was  a  sainted  Catholic  Pioneer,  who 
loved  justice  and  abhorred  iniquity.  He  was  in- 
spired by  one  great  and  glorious  idea.  He  crossed 
the  Atlantic  sixteen  times,  and  toiled  for  over  half 
a  century,  in  the  midst  of  danger,  hardship,  and 
soul-trying  opposition,  to  ameliorate  the  unhappy 
condition  of  the  Indians,  and  to  spread  the  light  of 
the  Gospel  in  the  dark  wilderness  of  the  New 
World.  Nor  was  his  pen  less  active  and  eloquent 
than  his  tongue.  He  is  one  of  the  great  writers 
of  Spain.  "  In  the  course  of  his  work,"  says  Irving, 
"  when  Las  Casas  mentions  the  original  papers 
lying  before  him,  from  which  he  drew  many  of  his 
facts,  it  makes  one  lament  that  they  should  be  lost 


\ 


■pr 


i=i8 


The  Catliolic  Pionii'rs  of  ^[inerica. 


to  the  world.  Besides  the  journals  and  letters  of 
Columbus,  he  says  he  had  numbers  of  tire  letttis 
of  Don  Hartholomcw,  wlio  wrote  better  than  Ins 
brother,  and  whose  writinj^fs  must  have  been  full  of 
energy.  Above  all,  lie  had  the  map,  formed  fron^ 
study  and  conjecture,  by  which  Columbus  sailed  or 
his  first  voyage.  What  a  precious  document  vvoul'' 
this  be  for  the  world  !" 


PETER    MENENDEZ, 

FOUXDF.R  OF  ST.  A  UGUSTINK,  TIIR  OLDEST  CITY  IN  THE  UXITED 

STA  IKS  OF  AMERICA 

Died  A,  D.  1574. 

PETER  MENENDEZ.'  one  of  the  greatest  of 
Spanish  naval  commanders,  was  born  in  15 19, 
of  an  ancient  family.  His  daring  nature  and  fond- 
ness for  the  sea  were  traits  of  character  that  showed 
themselves  at  an  early  age.  He  was  but  a  mere  boy 
when  he  ran  away  from  home,  boarded  a  man-of- 
war,  and  soon  had  his  first  blows  with  the  corsairs 
of  Barbary. 

He  rose  rapidly  from  one  grade  to  another,  until, 
as  Admiral  Menendez,  his  achievements  on  the 
Mediterranean    and    the    Atlantic    made    his    name 


>  Sometimes  written  Melendez. 


■^\ 


Peter  Menende::. 


i59 


famous.  Hut  while  a  career  of  glory  seemed  to  open 
before  him,  the  clouds  of  misfortune  suddenly 
gathered  overhead.  His  son  sailed  from  Mexico  in 
a  vessel  that  perished  on  the  coast  of  Florida. 
Shortly  after,  Menendez  was  cast  into  prison  on 
some  frivolous  charge  ;  and  it  was  nearly  two  years 
before  he  found  himself  a  free  man  a^^ain. 

He  at  once  sought  the  presence  of  Philip  H.  He 
had  a  petition  to  make.  He  longed  to  seek  for  his 
lost  son,  who  might  still  be  alive.  He  desired  to 
conquer,  settle,  and  convert  that  wild  Florida  which 
had  defied  Ponce  de  Leon  and  Hernando  de  Soto. 
"The  blindness  of  so  many  thousands  of  idolaters," 
he  said  to  the  King,  "  has  touched  me  so  sensibly, 
that  of  all  employment  with  which  your  Majesty 
could  honor  me,  there  is  not  one  to  which  I  would 
not  prefer  that  of  conquering  Florida,  and  peopling 
it  with  true  Christians." 

Menendez  received  his  commission  as  Governor  of 
Florida,  afid  was  getting  an  expedition  in  readiness, 
when  he  learned  that  a  party  of  French  Huguenots, 
under  Laudonnifere  and  Ribault  had  already  seized 
a  foothold  in  his  territory.  He  increased  his  forces, 
and  sailed  from  Cadiz,  in  June,  1565.  After  a 
stormy  passage  that  scattered  his  fleet,  he  touched 
the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's  Riv^^r,  in  Florida. 
Near  by  lay  Fort  Caroline  and  the  little  French 
settlement. 

The  Spanish  AdmiraJ  gave  unsuccessful  chase  to 


I 


I 


i6o 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


;i  number  of  French  ships  in  the  vicinity,  and  then 
sailed  towards  the  south  along  the  coast.  He 
entered  a  small  inlet,  and  threw  up  a  rude  fort.  It 
was  the  foundation  of  St.  Augustine — to-day  the 
oldest  town  in  this  Republic. 

Theri  follows  the  woeful  tale  of  blood  and 
butciiery.  Menendez  "marched  against  Fort  Caro- 
line, took  it  by  surprise,  and  put  the  garrison  to  the 
sword,  only  Laudonniere  and  a  few  of  his  followers 
escaping.  Ribault  and  most  of  his  men  afterwards 
surrendered,  and  were  massacred  in  cold  blood  ;  a 
remnant  of  the  Frenchmen  were  captured  a'ld  sent 
to  the  galleys."  ' 

"  It  was  he,"  says  Parkman,  "  who  crushed  French 
Protestantism  in  America." 

For  years  St.  Augustine  remained  the  only 
European  settlement  within  the  present  limits  of 
the  United  States.  It  was  the  headquarters  of 
missionary  effort.  The  Franciscans,  Dominicans, 
and  Jesuits  toiled  like  apostles  among*  the  wild, 
dusky  children  of  the  everglades.  Many  watered 
the  soil  of  Florida  with  their  blood.  Not  a  few 
were  scalped,  and  eaten  by  the  savages. 

Pope  St.  Pius  V.  took  such  interest  in  these  early 
missions  that  he  addressed  a  brief  to  Governor 
Menendez.  "  In  the  conversion  of  these  Indians  and 
idolaters,"  wrote  the  great  Pontiff,  **  nothing  is 
more  important  than  to  endeavor  by  every  means 


1  Hassard. 


Peter  Mencndez. 


i6r 


IS 

lis 


to  prevent  the  giving  pf  scandal,  through  the  vices 
and  immoralities  of  such  as  go  to  those  western 
parts.  It  is  the  key  of  this  lioly  work,  in  wliich  is 
included  the  whole  essence  of  \-our  charjje." 

The  genius  of  Menendez  was  so  highly  appreciated 
at  home,  that  when  Spain  meditated  the  invasion 
of  England,  he  was  summoned  from  the  wilds  of 
America  to  command  the  Invincible  Armada.  Amid 
the  din  of  preparations,  however,  the  founder  of  St. 
Augustine  closed  his  eyes  on  this  world,  "  at  Corunna, 
still  vigorous  and  unbroken  by  age,  in  the  height  of 
his  glory,  a  brave,  loyal,  and  disinterested  naval 
t:ommander,  but  whose  fame  is  blemished  by  one  act 
of  blood.  His  death  was  a  fatal  blow  to  Spanish 
c:olonization  in  Florida." 


I 


^^"'•""mmmm 


162 


The  Catlwlic  Pioneers  of  America. 


BERNARD  DIAZ, 

ONE  OF  TJ  IE  BRAVE  COM  r ANIONS  OF  CORTES^AND  HISTORIAN 
OF  THE  CONQ  UES  T  OF  MEXICO. 

Dale  of  death  if  uukno'ivn. 

ERNARD  DIAZ,'  the  famous  soldier-histo- 
rian  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,  was  born 
in  Spain  during  the  last  years  of  the  fif- 
teenth century.  He  belonged  to  a  poor  but  virtu- 
ous family.  Though  he  learned  to  read  and  write, 
lie  never  claimed  to  be  a  scholar.  In  1 5 14,  he  came 
to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  New  World.  Two  years 
later  he  joined  the  expedition  of  Cordova  to  Yu- 
catan ;  and,  in  1518,  he  accompanied  Grijalva  on  his 
voyage  of  discovery  to  the  coast  of  Mexico.  This 
was  a  good  apprenticeship  for  more  difificult  enter- 
prises. 

Diaz  w  -  among  the  hardy  adventurers  that  fol- 
lowed the  banner  of  Cortes.  He  witijessed  many  a 
wild,  impressixe  scene.  He  was  in  every  great 
action  of  the  Conquest,  and  at  al'.  times  "displayed 
the  old  Castilian  valor,  and  a  loyalty  which  made 
him  proof  against  the  mutinous  spirit  that  too 
often    disturbed    the    harmony   of    the    camp.     On 

'  The  full  name  in  Spiuiish  is  Hernal  Diaz  del  Castillo. 


H  c  mar  ii  Diaz. 


163 


\ 


lis 


^1- 


Lit 


»o 


m 


every  occasion  he  was  found  true  to  his  commander 
and  to  the  cause  in  which  he  was  embarked.  And 
his  fidelity  is  attested  not  only  by  his  own  report, 
but  by  the  emphatic  commendations  of  his  General, 
who  selected  him  on  this  account  for  offices  of  trust 
and  responsbility  which  furnished  the  future  chron- 
icler with  access  to  the  best  means  of  information 
in  respect  to  the  Conquest."' 

Nearly  fifty  years  after  the  thrilling  historic 
drama  that  marked  the  downfall  of  the  golden  em- 
pire  of  Montezuma,  we  find  one  of  the  conquerors 
filling  the  office  of  Regidor  of  the  city  of 'Guatemala, 
and  recounting  the  story  of  his  checkered  life  to  an- 
other generation.  It  was  the  simple,  kind-hearted 
veteran,  Bernard  Diaz.  He  had  survived  his  General 
and  nearly  all  his  ancient  companions  in-arms.  Five 
only  remained  of  that  gallant  band  who  had  ac- 
companied Cortes  on  his.  expedition  from  Cuba; 
and  those  five,  to  borrow  the  words  of  the  old 
chronicler,  were  "poor,  aged,  and  infirm,  with  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren  looking  to  them  for  support, 
but  with  scarcely  the  means  of  affording  it — ending 
their  days,  as  they  had  begun  them,  in  toil  and 
trouble.'" 

In  1568,  the  white-haired  Diaz  began  to  write  his 
True  History  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  books  in  the  whole  range  of 
modern    literature.     '*  He    transfers  the  scenes    of 


'  Prescott. 


» Ibid. 


164 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


real  life,"  says  Prescott  "by  a  sort  of  daguerreotype 
process,  if  I  may  so  say,  to  his  pages.  He  is  among 
chroniclers  what  Defoe  is  among  novelists.  He  in- 
troduces us  into  the  heart  of  the  camp,  we  huddle 
round  the  bivouac  with  the  soldiers,  loiter  with 
them  on  their  wearisome  marches,  listen  to  their 
stories,  their  murmurs  of  discontent,  their  plans  of 
conquest,  their  hopes,  their  triumphs,  their  disap- 
pointments. All  the  picturesque  scenes  and  ro- 
maiitic  incidents  of  the  campaign  are  reflected  in 
his  page  as  in  a  mirror.  The  lapse  of  fifty  years  has 
had  no  power  over  the  spirit  of  the  veteran.  The 
fire  of  youth  f^'ows  in  every  line  of  his  rude  history." 
His  piety,  simple  faith,  and  rigid  love  of  truth 
are  well  illustrated,  when  he  refers  to  the  often-told 
legend  of  the  apparition  of  St.  James  at  the  battle 
of  Cintla.  "  I  acknowledge,"  he  says,  "  that  all  our 
exploits  and  victories  are  owing  to  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  ind  that  in  this  battle  there  was  such  a 
number  of  Indians  to  every  one  of  us,  that  if  each 
had  thrown  a  handful  of  earth  they  might  have 
buried  us,  if  by  the  great  mercy  of  God  wc  had  not 
been  protected.  It  may  be  that  the  person  whom 
Gomara  mentions  as  having  appeared  on  a  mottled 
gray  horse,  was  the  glorious  Apostle  St.  James, 
or  St.  Peter,  and  that  I,  being  a  sinner,  was  not 
worthy  to  see  him.  This  I  know,  that  I  saw  Fran- 
cis de  Morla  on  such  a  horse,  but  as  an  unworthy 
transgressor,  I  did  not  deserve  to  see  any  of  the 


Birnard  Diaz. 


165 


vc 
ot 
»m 
ed 
es, 
[ot 
jm- 
Ihy 
he 


►i 


holy  Apostles.  It  may  have  been  the  will  of  God 
that  it  was  as  Gomara  relates  ;  but  until  I  read  his 
History,  I  never  heard  among  any  of  the  conquerors 
that  such  a  thing  h?id  happened." 

On  first  seeing  the  city  of  xMcxico  and  its  glitter- 
ing splendor,  he  writes:  ''When  we  beheld  the 
number  of  populous  towns  on  the  vvaler  and  firm 
ground,  and  that  broad  causeway,  running  straight 
and  level  to  the  city,  we  could  compare  it  to  noth- 
ing but  the  enchanted  scenes  we  had  read  of  in 
Amadis  of  Gaul — from  the  great  towns  and  teni{)les 
and  other  edifices  of  stone  and  lime  which  seemed 
to  rise  out  of  the  water.  To  many  of  us  it  appeared 
doubtful  whether  we  were  asleep  or  awake;  nor  is 
the  manner  in  which  I  express  myself  to  be 
wondered  at,  for  it  must  be  considered,  that  never 
yet  did  man  see,  hear,  or  dream  of  anything  equal 
to  the  spectacle  which  appeared  to  our  eyes  on 
that  day ." 

His  pen  picture  of  the  last  Indian  Emperor  of 
Mexico  is  full  of  interest.  "  The  great  Montezuma," 
he  writes  "  was,  at  this  time  about  forty  years  of 
'ig-j  o^  good  stature,  well  prcporticiied  and  thin. 
His  complexion  was  much  fairer  than  that  of  the 
Indians.  He  wore  his  hair  short,  just  covering  his 
ears,  with  very  little  beard,  well  arranged,  thin  and 
black.  "His  face  was  rather  long,  with  a  pleasant 
countenance,  and  good  eyes.  His  words  were 
marked  by  gravity  and  good  humor.     He  was  very 


1; 


1 66 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


■iiiii 


delicate  and  clean  in  his  person,  bathing  himself 
every  morning.  The  clothes  which  he  wore  one  day 
he  did  not  put  on  for  four  days  after. 

**  He  had  two  hundred  of  his  nobility  as  a  guard,  in 
apartments  adjoining  his  own.  Of  these,  certain 
persons  only  could  speak  to  him  ;  and  when  they 
went  to  wait  upon  him  they  took  off  their  rich 
mantles,  and  put  on  others  less  ornamental,  but 
clean.  They  entered  his  apartment  barefooted, 
their  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground,  and  making  three 
profound  bows  as  they  approached  him. 

"  In  addressing  him,  they  said,  *  my  lord,'  or  *  great 
lord.'  When  they  had  finished,  he  dismissed  them 
in  a  few  words,  and  they  retired,  with  their  faces 
towards  him,  and  their  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ground. 
I  also  observed  that  when  great  men  came  from  a 
distance  about  business,  they  entered  his  palace 
barefooted,  and  in  a  plain  dress,  and  they  did  not 
enter  the  gate  directly,  but  took  a  circuit  in  going 
towards  it." 

Some  may  fancy,  perhaps,  that  the  Spanish 
soldiers  enjoyed  an  enviable  repose  during  their 
residence  in  the  palace  of  Montezuma.  It  was  far 
otherwise.  Besides  the  drudgery  of  continually 
mounting  guard,  every  man  slept  on  his  arms, 
and  at  all  times  held  himself  in  instant  readiness 
for  action.  "  I  may  say  without  vaunting,"  writes 
Diaz,  "  that  I  was  so  accustomed  to  this  way  of 
life,  that   since  the  conquest  of   the  country  I  have 


1' 


Bernard  Diaz. 


167 


never  been  able  to  lie  clown  undressed,  or  in  a  bed  ; 
yet  I  sleep  as  sound  as  if  I  were  on  the  softest 
down. 

"  Even  when  I  make  the  rounds  of  my  encomienda 
I  never  take  a  bed  with  me,  unless,  indeed,  I  go  in 
the  company  of  other  cavaliers,  who  might  impute 
this  to  parsimony.  But  even  then  I  throw  myself  on 
it  with  my  clothes  on.  Another  thing  I  must  add, 
that  I  cannot  sleep  long  in  the  night  without  getting 
up  to  look  at  the  heavens  and  the  stars,  and  stay 
awhile  in  the  open  air,  and  this  without  a  cap  or 
covering  of  any  sort  on  my  head.  And  thanks  be 
to  God,  I  have  received  no  harm  from  it.  I  mention 
these  things  that  the  world  may  understand  of  what 
stuff  we,  the  true  conquerors,  were  made,  and  how 
well  drilled  we  were  to  arms  and  watching." 

The  stout-hearted  veteran  recounts  with  artless 
simplicity  that  the  first  entrance  of  fear  into  his 
breast  was  occasioned  by  the  horrible  sight  of  a 
body  of  Spanish  prisoners  in  the  act  of  being  sacrificec!. 
to  the  war  god  of  the  Mexicans.  It  occurred  during 
the  siege  of  the  capital.  *'  Now,"  he  writes,  **  that 
I  am  past  these  furious  combats,  through  which, 
praise  be  to  God,  He  was  pleased  to  conduct  me 
safely,  I  have  to  mention  a  certain  fact  relative  to 
myself.  It  is  this.  When  I  saw  the  sacrifice  of  our 
seventy-two  countrymen,  and  their  hearts  taken  out 
and  offered  to  the  war  god  of  the  Mexicans,  I  had  a 
sensation  of  fear. 


1 68 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


"  Some  may  think  this  a  want  of  firmness,  but  if 
they  weigh  it  fairly,  they  will  find  that  it  was  in 
truth  the  result  of  too  much  courage,  which  caused 
me  to  run  into  extreme  and  uncommon  dangers 
For  at  that  time  I  considered  myself  a  most  valiant 
soldier,  and  was  so  esteemed  by  all. 

*'  But  as  I  have  said  before,  when  I  saw  my  com- 
panions sacrificed,  their  hearts  taken  out  palpitating, 
and  their  legs  and  arms  cut  off  and  eaten,  I  feared 
it  might  one  day  or  other  be  my  own  lot  ;  for  they 
had  me  in  their  hands  twice,  but  it  v/as  God's  will 
that  I  should  escape. 

"  I  remembered,  however,  and  thought  on  what  I 
had  seen,  and  from  this  time  I  feared  that  cruel 
death  ;  and  this  I  mention,  because  before  I  went 
into  battle,  I  felt  a  great  depression  and  uneasiness 
about  my  heart,  and  then  recommending  myself  to 
God  and  His  Blessed  Mother  Our  Lady,  it  left  me 
the  instant  I  was  engaged  with  the  enemy.  Still,  I 
am  surprised  that  it  came  upon  me  when  I  should 
have  felt  more  valiant  than  ever,  on  account  of  tlie 
many  battles  in  which  I  had  been  engaged.  But  I 
declare  I  never  knew  what  fear  was,  until  I  saw  the 
massacre  of  the  seventy-two  soldiers." 

His  description  of  the  once  splendid  city  of  Monte- 
zuma after  it  was  taken,  is  sadly  suggestive.  But  it 
is  the  language  of  an  eye-witness.  "  It  is  true,"  he 
says,  "and  I  swear  Amen,  that  all  the  lake  and  the 
houses  and  the  barbacans  were  full  of  the  bodies 


I 


lit 

e 

It! 
'S 


Bernard  Diar: 


169 


and  heads  of  dead  men,  so  that  I  do  not  know  how 
I  may  describe  it.  For  in  the  streets,  and  in  the 
very  courts  of  Tatelulco,  there  were  no  other  things, 
and  we  could  not  walk  except  among  the  bodies  and 
heads  of  dead  Indians.  I  have  read  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem  ;  but  whether  there  was  such  a 
vast  loss  of  life  in  it  I  do  not  know." 

When  the  white-haired  veteran  had  finished  the 
True  History  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,  he  submitted 
it  to  two  critics,  who  had  nothing  but  good  words 
for  his  wonderful  memory  and  the  simplicity  and 
photographic  clearness  of  his  work.  "  But  they 
remarked,"  he  writes,  "that  it  would  have  been  as 
well  if  I  had  not  praised  myself  and  my  comrades  so 
liberally,  but  had  left  that  to  others.  To  this  I 
answered  that  it  was  common  for  neighbors  and 
friends  to  speak  kindly  of  one  another,  and  if  we 
did  not  speak  well  of  ourselves,  who  would?  Who 
else  witnessed  our  exploits  and  our  battles — unless, 
indeed,  the  clouds  in  the  sky,  and  the  birds  that 
were  flying  o\  er  our  heads?" 

Bernard  Diaz  closes  his  inimitable  volume  with  i\ 
summary  of  the  one  hundred  and  nineteen  battles 
in  which  he  had  fought.  The  last  lines  were  written 
on  "the  26th  day  of  February,  1572."  The  brave 
old  Catholic  Pioneer  was  then  nearly  eighty  years 
of  age,  and  he  piously  thanks  our  Lord  that  he  had 
escaped  so  many  dangers  "  to  make  these  things 
manifest." 


r 


170 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


PETER  DE  CORPA,  O.  S.  F., 

ONE  OF  THE  MA  R  TYRS  OF  FL  OKI  DA . 
Died  A.  D.  1597. 

ATHER  PETER  DE  CORPA.  a  distin- 
guished preacher,  was  one  of  the  brave  band 
of  Spanish  Franciscans  who  carried  the  light 
of  the  Gospel  among  the  dusky  savages  of  the  South. 
With  three  companions  he  labored  for  a  short  time 
among  the  Indians  who  inhabited  what  is  now  the 
coast  of  Georgia.  The  next  scene  of  their  toils  lay 
around  St.  Augustine,  in  Plorida.  The  priests  weret 
well  received  ;  and,  for  two  years,  successfully  carried 
on  their  labors.  Their  hardships  and  fatigues,  the 
journeys  which  they  performed,  barefooted,  from 
village  to  village,  exposed  to  the  broiling  sun,  with 
the  austerities  enjoined  by  their  rule,  were  amply 
repaid  by  the  ..umerous  converts  who  gathered 
around  them. 

To  abolish  the  practice  of  polygamy,  however, 
was  the  greatest  obstacle  the  missionaries  had  to 
encounter.  No  man  was  baptized  who  did  not  put 
away  all  his  wives  but  one.  And  Father  de  Corpa's 
firmness  in  upholding  the  sanctity  of  the  marriage 


Piter  De  Cor  pa,  O.  S.  P. 


171 


.\ 


tie  was  the  cause  of  his  death.  The  son  of  one  of 
the  chiefs,  a  convert,  returned  to  his  former  life  of 
immorality,  thus  giving  great  scandal.  The  zealous 
Franciscan  found  it  necessary  to  reprove  him  pub- 
licly. 

Enraged  at  this  and  at  former  private  remon- 
strances of  the  Father,  the  young  savage  deter- 
mined to  silence  forever  the  lips  which  preached  a 
doctrine  so  offensive  to  his  loose  instincts.  Col- 
lecting a  number  of  braves  one  evejiing,  he  secretly 
approached  the  rude  chapel.  Father  de  Corpa  was 
alone  before  the  altar  at  his  devotions.  He  fell — 
his  head  gash'^d  by  a  blow  of  the  chief's  tomahawk. 
The  eloquent  tongue  of  the  martyr  was  now  stilled 
in  death  ;  but  his  brave,  bright  soul,  leaving  the 
fiendish  murderers  in  the  dark,  winged  its  happy 
flight  to  regions  of  bliss,  and  found  its  reward  in 
the  bosom  of  God. 

At  the  head  of  a  band  of  red-skin  ruffians,  the 
young  apostate  ravaged  all  the  missions ;  and  the 
fearless  Father  de  Corpa's  colleagues  shared  his 
fate,  dividing  with  him  the  crown  of  martyrdom. 
These  events  occurred  in  September,  1597,  a  little 
more  than  one  hundred  years  after  the  discovery  of 
America. 


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172  The  Catholic  Pioneers  0/  America, 


Is'l 


SIR  GEORGE  CALVERT,  LORD  BALTIMORE 

T/f£  CA  THOLIC  FOUNDER  OF  MARYLAND. 
Died  A,  D   Viyi. 

|HE  most  illustrious  name  among  those  of  our 
colonial  founders  is  tb  ;t  of  the  Catholic  peer, 
Lord  Baltimore.  Ht.  was  the  son  of  Leonard 
Calvert,  of  Yorkshire,  England,  and  was  born  in 
the  year  1582.  His  parents  being  members  of  the 
Anglican  Church,  he  was,  of  course,  brought  up  in 
the  same  belief.  Younp;  George  was  sent  to  the 
University  of  Oxford,  and  such  were  his  rare  gifts 
and  application,  that  at  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
graduated,  with  high  honors.  Bachelor  of  Arts.  A 
tour  on  the  Continent  completed  his  education. 

In  his  twenty-fifth  year  he  married  Miss  Minne, 
an  accomplished  young  lady  of  Herdforshire;  and 
a  little  later,  through  the  influence  of  Sir  Robert 
Cecil,  then  Prime  Minister,  he  obtained  a  position 
at  Court.  In  honor  of  his  patron,  he  called  his 
eldest  son  Cecilius,  afterwards  the  worthy  inheritor 
ot  his  name  and  his  noble  designs.  Calvert's  pro- 
motion from  one  office  to  another  was  now  rapid ; 
for  his  ability  and  diligence  had  already  attracted 


Sir  George  Calvert,  Lord  Baltimore.         \  73 

the  attention  and  won  the  esteem  of  the  King,  who, 
in  1617,  conferred  upon  him  the  honor  of  knight- 
hood, having  already  appointed  him  one  of  the 
clerks  of  the  Privy  Council.  In  1620,  he  was  made 
Secretary  of  State,  with  a  pension  of  five  thousand 
dollars  a  year.  He  afterwards  became  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Commons,  representing  first  York- 
shire, and  then  the  University  of  Oxford.  All 
recognized  his  distinguished  integrity,  ability,  and 
eloquence. 

The  cruel  persecution  of  the  Catholics,  then 
going  on  in  England,  touched  the  generous  heart  of 
Sir  George  Calvert.  He  made  a  searching  exami- 
nation of  their  faith  and  their  principles.  The 
Religion  of  Bede,  Alfred,  and  the  Black  Prince 
assumed  new  beauties  the  more  carefully  it  was  scru- 
tinized. New  light  was  shed  on  the  sincere,  pene- 
trating mind  of  Calvert.  If  vile  persecution  was  to 
be  the  lot  of  the  true  followers  of  Jesus  Christ, 
then  there  could  be  little  difficulty  in  finding 
them  out!  And  with  the  courage  and  manliness 
inspired  by  grace,  he  became  a  Catholic  in  1624. 

His  conscience  no  longer  allowing  him  to  hold 
his  position  as  .Secretary  of  State,  he  at  once 
tendered  his  resignation  to  James  I.  **  I  am  now," 
said  the  brave  Knight,  "a  Catholic,  so  that  I  must 
be  wanting  to  my  trust,  or  violate  my  conscience  in 
the  discharge  of  this  office."  James,  though  a 
bigot  of  the  worst  stamp,  was  sometimes  generous 


m 


»74 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


d' 


lii' 


to  the  open  and  candid,  and  was  so  moved  by  Cal- 
vert's honest  avowal,  that  while  he  accepted  his 
resignation,  he  continued  him  as  a  member  of  the 
Privy  Council  for  life,  and  soon  after  created  him 
Lord  Baltimore^  of  Baltimore — that  little  Irish  town 
which  has  since  been  immortalized  by  the  poet 
Davis  in  the  "  The  Sack  of  Baltimore,"  when, 

"  The  yell  of  Allah  broke  above  the  prayer,  and  shriek,  and  roar— 
Oh,  blessed  God  !  the  Algerine  was  lord  of  Baltimore  !"' 

To  found  a  colony  in  the  New  World,  as  a  refuge 
for  his  persecuted  co-religionists,  now  became  the 
great  object  of  Lord  Baltimore's  life.  His  heart 
was  grieved  at  the  foolish  animosity  and  wicked 
intolerance  that  surrounded  him  on  every  side. 
Before  his  conversion  he  had  purchased  a  portion  of 
Newfoundland — the  peninsula  forming  the  south- 
eastern extremity  of  the  island — was  a  member  of 
the  Virginia  Company,  and  took  a  great  interest  in 
colonial  affairs  generally.  He  now  endeavored  to 
turn  this  knowledge  and  his  American  possessions  to 
good  account.  And  with  his  family  he  sailed  for 
Newfoundland  in  1626,  and  spent  two  years  and 
over  $100,000 in  laboringto  establish  the  settlement 
of  Ferryland.     But  he  was  painfully  disappointed. 


'  BaltiniDre  is  a  small  seaport  in  the  County  of  Cork,  Ireland.  "  On  the  aolh 
of  June,  i6u,"  writes  Davis,  "  the  crews  of  two  Alperine  galleys  landed  in  the 
dead  of  night,  sacked  the  town,  and  bore  off  inio  slavery  all  who  were  not  too 
old,  or  too  young,  or  too  fierce  for  their  purpose."  From  this  Haltimore  never 
recovered  ;  but  it  can  claim  the  honor  of  having  conferred  its  name  on  one  of  the 
g;reat  cities  of  America, 


Sir  George  Calvert ^  Lord  Baltimore  175 

Nature  was  not  to  be  changed.  The  severe  climate, 
rugged  country,  and  unfruitful  soil  forbade  the  hope 
of  establishing  a  flourishing  community  in  that 
bleak  island,  with  its  cloudy  skies  and  long  win- 
ters. 

In  1628,  however,  he  sailed  for  Virginia,  with  new 
prospects  lighting  up  his  pathway.  Again  he  was 
doomed  to  disappointment.  There  nature  was  kind, 
but  man  was  cruel.  Scarcely  had  he  landed,  when 
the  sour  religious  bigots,  like  so  many  mosquitos, 
began  to  buzz  around  his  person.  He  was  requested 
to  take  the  barbarous  Protestant  oaths  of  supremacy 
and  allegiance — "ironclad"  formulas,  which  every 
good  Catholic  would  scorn  in  his  soul  to  pronounce. 
Lord  Baltimore  refused  to  take  the  proposed  oaths, 
and  was  compelled  to  leave  the  waters  of  Virginia. 
He  then  sailed  up  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  explored  a 
portion  of  the  present  State  of  Maryland.  The 
noble  pioneer  was  pleased  with  the  beautiful  and 
well-wooded  country  which  surrounded  the  borders 
and  inlets  of  the  great  bay  ;  and  determined  there 
to  found  a  new  state,  where  conscience  should  be 
free,  and  every  man  might  worship  God  ac- 
cording to  his  own  heart,  in  peace  and  perfect  se- 
curity. 

To  give  the  stamp  of  success  to  this  noble  enter- 
prise, he  returned  to  P.ngland  in  order  to  obtain  the 
royal  consent.  Charles  I.  had  succeeded  his  father, 
James,  upon  the   throne.     Lord   Baltimore   made 


176 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


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spplication  for  the  grant  of  territory ;  and  with  his 
own  hand  drew  up  a  charter,  famous  for  its  liberality, 
which  he  likewise  presented  for  the  King's  appro- 
bation. Remembering  Lord  Baltimore's  services, 
and  moved,  perhaps,  by  the  intercession  of  his 
Catholic  Queen,  Henrietta  Maria,  Charles  directed 
the  patent  to  be  issued ;  but  owing  to  the  tedious 
forms  of  public  business,  before  the  document  could 
be  executed  and  pass  the  seals,  the  father  and  founder 
of  Maryland  had  passed  to  his  rev/ard.  He  died 
piously  in  the  religion  of  hi.>  choice,  on  the  12th  of 
April,  1632. 

In  the  June  following,  the  charter  received  the 
royal  signature.  Lord  Baltimore's  title  and  privi- 
leges were  inherited  by  his  eldest  son,  Cecilius 
Calvert,  who  carried  out  the  designs  of  his  il- 
lustrious father  in  the  manner  elsewhere  re- 
counted.' 

The  personal  appearance  of  Lord  Baltimore  re- 
flected, as  a  mirror,  the  eminent  qualities  of  his 
mind  and  heart.  The  calm,  massive  forehead  and 
large,  keen  eyes  were  truly  expressive  of  his  prudence, 
serenity,  and  uncommon  ability.  His  mild  temper, 
manly  piety,  and  generous,  truth-loving  nature 
adorned  a  spotless  character,  whose  every  act  was 
marked  by  good  sense  and  moderation.  In  an 
intolerant  age  and  nation,  he  was  a  model  of  that 
true  liberality  which  springs  from  Christian  charity. 

'  See  the  lives  of  Leonard  Calvert,  and  Father  Andrew  White,  S.J. 


Joseph  Le  Caron,  O.  S.  F. 


^77 


To  possess  truth  and  save  his  soul,  he  was  read}  to 
sacrifice  every  earthly  advantage.  Mar)  land  is  his 
monument,  and  the  great  city  of  Baltimore  shall 
transmit  his  name  to  future  a^es. 


JOSEPH  LE  CARON.  O.  S.  F.. 

DISCOIERER  OF  LAKE  HUKO\\  AND  lOLWVEli  OF  THE  HURON 

MISSION. 

Died  A.  D.  1633. 

WE  are  told  by  Bancroft,  that  "years  before 
the  Pilgrims  anchored  within  Cape  Cod,  the 
Catholic  Church  had  been  planted  by  missionaries 
from  France  in  the  eastern  half  of  Maine;  and  Le 
Caron,  an  unambitious  Franciscan,  had  penetrated 
the  land  of  the  Mohawks,  had  passed  to  the  north  in 
the  hunting-grounds  of  the  Wyandots,  and,  bound 
by  his  vows  to  the  life  of  a  beggar,  had,  on  foot,  or 
paddling  a  bark  canoe,  gone  onward  and  still  on- 
ward, taking  alms  of  the  savages,  till  he  reached  the 
rivers  of  Lake  Huron." 

Who  was  this  devoted  priest,  to  whom  the  his- 
torian of  the  United  States  so  briefly  refers,  and 
what  did  he  do? 

In  the  seventeenth  century,  there  stood  a  modest 
Franciscan  monastery  near  the  small  French  seaport 


m  ! 

U\    i 


[  .1  r     ; 

1  ! 


^li:: 


f- 


178 


77/^  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America 


of  Brouagc,  on  the  Bay  of  Biscay.  Among  its  pious 
inmates  was  Father  Joseph  Le  Caron.  When  Cham- 
plain  laid  the  cornerstone  of  a  Christian  nation  in 
Canada,  his  first  thought  was  to  aid  in  saving  the 
souls  of  the  dusky  savages  that  roamed  its  bound- 
less wilderness.  "  The  salvation  of  a  single  soul," 
said  this  noble  pioneer,  "  is  worth  more  than  the 
conquest  of  an  empire." 

The  founder  of  Canada  looked  about  for  "some 
good  priests  who  would  have  zeal  and  affection  for 
God's  glory,"  and  such  he  found  in  the  Franciscan 
monastery  near  his  native  Brouage.  Father  Joseph 
Le  Caron  and  three  companions'  soon  got  themselves 
in  readiness  for  the  mission  of  New  France.  **  They 
packed  their  church  ornaments,"  says  Champlain, 
*'  and  we  our  baggage."  Each  went  to  confession 
and  placed  himself  in  the  state  of  grace.  A  vessel 
was  boarded  at  Honfleur,  and  Champlain  and  his 
Franciscan  friends  hastened  across  the  Atlantic,  and 
stepped  ashore  at  Quebec  in  May,  161 5. 

After  the  erection  of  a  rude  little  monastery,  and 
the  celebration  of  the  first  Mass  in  Canada  since  the 
days  of  Cartier,  the  Fathers  took  counsel  together, 
and  each  was  assigned  a  portion  of  the  vast  mis 
sionary  field  that  stretched  around  them  on  every 
side. 

The  spiritual  charge  of  the  Hurons  fell  to  Father 
Le  Caron,  and  he  at  once  directed  his  steps  towards 


1  i-ui'.icrs  Denis  Jamet  and  John  Dolbeau,  and  Brother  Pacific  du  Plessis. 


yoseph  Lc  CaroUy  O.  S.  F. 


»79 


that  distant  Indian  nation.  After  paddling  one 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  he 
came  to  the  present  site  of  Montreal.  Scores  of 
canoes  lined  the  shore,  and  Huron  warriors  were  in 
abundance.  The  annual  trading  expedition  had 
brought  them  to  this  point  to  make  exchanges  with 
the  French,  but  in  a  few  days  the  red-skinned 
traders  would  disappear — vanish  like  an  apparition. 

The  zealous  Franciscan  was  engaged  in  studying 
the  strange  manners  and  stranger  language  of  his 
new  flock,  when  Champlain  arrived  on  the  scene. 
The  priest  had  already  made  up  his  mind  to  return 
with  the  savages  and  winter  among  them,  and  the 
Governor's  dissuasions  to  the  contrary  were  of  no 
avail.  "  What,"  exclaimed  this  hardy,  apostolic 
man,  **  are  privations  to  him  whose  life  is  devoted 
to  perpetual  poverty — who  has  no  ambition  but  to 
serve  God?" 

The  savages  were  impatient  to  return  home,  and 
Father  Le  Caron,  accompanied  by  twelve  armed 
Frenchmen,  took  his  place  in  the  fleet  of  canoes. 
The  first  portion  of  their  rugged,  watery  highway 
lay  up  the  Ottawa  River.  The  long  voyage  was  no 
pleasure  excursion. 

"  It  would  be  hard  to  tell  you,"  writes  the  Fran- 
ciscan to  a  friend,  **  how  tired  I  was  with  paddling 
all  day,  with  all  my  strength,  among  the  Indians  ; 
wading  the  rivers  a  hundred  times  and  more,  through 
the  mud  and  over   the  sharp   rocks   that   cut  my 


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The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


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feet ;  carrying  the  canoe  and  luggage  through  the 
woods  to  avoid  the  rapids  and  frightful  cataracts ; 
and  half-starved  all  the  while,  for  we  had  nothing 
to  eat  but  a  little  sagamite — a  sort  of  porridge  made 
of  water  and  pounded  maize,  of  which  they  gave  us 
a  very  small  allowance  every  morning  and  night. 
But  I  must  also  tell  you  what  abundant  consolation 
I  found  under  all  my  troubles ;  for  when  one  sees 
so  many  infidels  needing  nothing  but  a  drop  of  water 
to  make  them  children  of  God,  he  feels  an  inexpres- 
sible ardor  to  labor  for  their  conversion,  and  sacrifice 
to  it  his  repose  and  his  life." 

On  arriving  at  the  tributary  waters  of  the  Mat- 

tewan,  the  canoes  turned  to  the  left,  skimmed  over 

Lake  Nipissing,  passed  down  the  French  River,  and 

glided   into  Lake  Huron — Father  Le  Caron  being 

the  first  white  man  who  beheld  the  placid  waters  of 

this  great  inland  sea.     After   paddling   along   the 

shores  of  the   Georgian    Bay,  the    fleet  of   canoes 

touched  the  land   bathed  by  its  southern   waters. 

The  weary  travellers  had  at  last  reached  the  ancient 

cc  untry  of  the  Hurons — a  district  comprised  in  the 

present  county  of  Simcoe,  Ontario,  Canada. 

Ti:e  Indians  built  a  small  bark  cabin  for  the 
missionary  near  Carhagouha,  one  of  the  chief 
villager.  He  made  an  altar,  and  Champlain  arrived 
in  time  'o  be  present  at  the  first  Mass.  It  was  the 
1 2th  of  August,  1615 — a  date  that  should  be  hal- 
lowed in  the  memory  of  all  the  Catholics  of  Western 


Joseph  Le  Car  on,  O.  S.  F. 


i8i 


Canada.  When  the  holy  sacrifice  was  finished,  a 
cross  was  made,  blessed,  and  erected  in  the  presence 
of  a  crowd  of  wondering  savages.  The  little  band 
of  Frenchmen  chantei  the  TV  Diuin  ;  "  and  then," 
says  Parkman,  '*  a  volley  of  their  guns  proclaimed  the 
triumph  of  the  Faith  to  the  oktes,  manitous,  and  all 
the  brood  of  anomalous  devils  who  had  reigned  with 
undisputed  sway  in  these  wild  realms  of  darkness. 
The  brave  Friar,  a  true  soldier  of  the  Church,  had 
led  her  forlorn  hope  into  the  fastnesses  of  Hell. 
He  had  said  the  first  Mass  in  the  country  of  the 
Hurons." 

Father  Le  Caron  now  began  his  apostolic  labors. 
He  went  from  village  to  village,  writes  Charle- 
voix, "  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  missions 
which  he  proposed  to  establish  among  the  Hurons, 
and  he  turned  every  moment  to  account  in  study- 
ing the  language.  But  he  had  no  time  to  make 
great  progress — this  «tudy  not  being  a  matter  of 
one  or  two  years,  give  it  what  application  you 
will." 

Champlain  wintered  with  the  Indians.  When 
spring  came,  he  set  out  for  Quebec,  accompanied 
by  Father  Le  Caron.  The  inhabitants  of  the  rude 
little  capital  had  given  up  the  Governor  and  the 
Franciscan  as  lost,  and  they  were  welcomed  back 
with  wonder  and  open  arms. 

F'ather  Le  Caron  now  proceeded  to  France,  and 
on  his  return,  in   March,  1617,  he  celebrated   the 


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182  TAf  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 

first  Christian  marriage  that  took  place  in  Canada. 
It  was  at  Quebec.  The  names  of  the  parties  were 
Stephen  Jonquest  and  Ann  Hebert. 

On  the  arrival  of  Father  Viel  and  Brother 
Sagard  from  France,  in  1623,  Father  Lc  Caron  in- 
vited them  to  a  place  in  his  canoe,  and  the  three 
paddled  to  the  distant  missions  of  the  Hurons. 
The  old  cabin  was  renovated,  and  the  priests  began 
to  labor  among  the  savages  as  well  as  they  could. 
Two  adults  were  baptized. 

But  it  was  a  hard  life,  and  a  stony  field.  The 
Franciscans  subsisted  cWefly  on  Indian  corn,  peas, 
and  squashes.  A  little  stream  that  ran  near  the 
door  furnished  their  only  drink.  On  the  long 
winter  evenings  they  read  by  the  light  of  the  fire — 
having  no  candles.  They  retired  to  rest  on  beds 
of  bark,  and  slept  soundly  after  the  daily  round  of 
ceaseless  toil. 

In  the  summer  of  1624,  Father  Le  Caron  returned 
to  Quebec  on  business  of  importance.  The  aid  of 
the  Jesiiits  was  requested  in  the  work  of  the 
missions ,  and  in  the  year  following  three  Fathers 
arrived  in  Canada.  Le  Caron,  however,  remained  at 
Quebec.  The  clouds  of  disaster  were  settling  down 
on  the  infant  colony  .  and,  at  length,  the  English 
flag  waved  for  a  time  above  Quebec.  The  devoted 
Franciscan  bade  adieu  to  Canada,  deploring  the 
ruin  of  his  toil .  and,  in  company  with  his  brother 
missionaries,  landed  in  France. 


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Joseph  Lc  Caron,  0.  S.  F. 


"83 


When,  in  a  few  years,  Canada  was  restored  to 
France,  Father  Le  Caron  met  with  such  provoking 
opposition  from  the  civil  authorities  of  the  colony, 
that  he  was  unable  to  return  to  his  beloved  mission, 
and  it  is  stated  that  he  "died  broken-hearted,  on 
the  29th  of  March,  1632."  And  thus  passed  to  a 
better  world  the  discoverer  of  Lake  Huron,  the 
brave  priest  who  said  the  first  Mass  and  planted  the 
first  cross  in  the  wilderness  of  Western  Canada. 
"  He  was,"  writes  S^sa,  "a  man  of  eminent  piety, 
zeal,  and  virtue;  and  aj  founder  of  the  Huron 
mission,  one  of  the  greatest  servants  of  God  in  the 
annals  of  the  American  missions." 


ler 


f  !: 


184 


The  Caiholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


SAMUEL  DE  CITAMPLAIN, 

THE  FOUNDER   OF   QUEBEC,  FATHER    OF   CANADA,  AND  -DIS- 
COVERER OF  LA  KES  CI  I A  M  PLAIN  A  ND  ONTA  RIO. 

Died  A.  D.  1635. 

ONG  before  the  ice-crusted  pines  of  Ply- 
mouth," says  Parkman, '  had  listened  to  the 
rugged  psahnody  of  the  Puritan,  the  soHtudes 
of  western  New  York  and  the  shadowy  wilderness  of 
Lake  Huron  were  trodden  by  the  iron  heel  of  the 
soldier  and  the  sandalled  foOt  of  the  Franciscan 
Friar.  France  was  the  true  pioneer  of  the  Great 
West.  They  who  bore  the  fleurde-lis  were  always 
in  the  van.  patient,  daring,  indomitable.  And  fore- 
most on  this  bright  roll  of  forest  chivalry  stands  the 
half-forgotten  name  of  Samuel  de  Chaniplain." 

He  was  born  in  the  year  1567,  at  Brouage,a  small 
French  seaport  on  the  Bay  of  Biscay.  He  belonged 
to  a  noble  family,  his  parents  being  Anthony  de 
Champlain  and  Margaret  le  Roy.  Educated  for 
the  profession  of  arms,  he  drew  his  flashing  blade 
on  many  a  battle-field.  He  served  in  the  royal 
navy,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  captain.  He  fought 
on  land  and  water  for  France. 

Champlain    made   his   first   acquaintance    of   the 


Samuel  De  Champlain. 


185 


New  World  in  a  cruise  to  the  West  Indies.  He 
visited  many  of  the  scenes  made  famous  by  Colum- 
bus, Balboa,  and  Cortes ;  and,  while  at  Panama,  he 
even  planned  a  ship-canal  across  the  isthmus,  "by 
\vhich,"  he  says,  "  the  voyage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean 
would  be  shortened  by  more  than  fifteen  hundred 
leagues." 

On  his  return,  an  association  of  merchants  at 
Dieppe  engaged  him  to  make  a  voyage  of  explora- 
tion to  Canada,  which  still  lay  an  unbroken  wilder- 
ness, untouched  by  the  hand  of  civilization.  Cham- 
plain  sailed  from  Honfleur  in  1603,  crossed  the  At- 
lantic, held  his  way  up  the  lonely  St.  Lawrence, 
passed  the  bare,  frowning  cliffs  of  Quebec,  where 
all  was  solitude,  and,  at  length,  reached  the  island 
of  Montreal — sixty-eight  years  after  the  first  visit 
of  Cartier.  Mount  Royal  looked  dov/n  as  before, 
but  Hochelaga  had  vanished.  The  new  pioneer 
explored  the  St.  Louis  Rapids,  and  tried  to  learn 
what  he  could  about  the  country  from  a  few  wander- 
ing Indians.  He  then  sailed  homeward,  "the  ob- 
jects of  his  mission  accomplished,  but  his  own  ad- 
venturous curiosity  unsated." 

On  his  arrival  in  France,  he  was  invited  to  join 
the  expedition  of  De  Monts,  a  nobleman,  who  held 
a  commission  from  the  King  to  settle  Acadia.' 
Champlain  was  pilot.  Two  vessels  were  equipped, 
and  sailed  in  March,  1604.     The  voyag'^rs  coasted 

■  Now  Nova  Scotia. 


w 


■ 


% 


1 86 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


the  southern  extremity  of  Nova  Scotia,  explored 
the  Bay  of  Fundy,  sailed  up  the  St.  John's  River, 
and  began  a  fort  and  settlement  on  a  rocky  islet 
near  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Croix.  Winter  came, 
and  proved  very  severe.  Scurvy  attacked  the 
colonists.  Before  the  wa.*m  sun  of  May  shone  out, 
thirty- six  Frenchman  had  peopled  the  little  ceme- 
tery. "Yet  among  them,'  writes  Parkman,  "there 
was  one  at  least,  who,  amid  languor  and  defection, 
held  to  his  purpose  with  an  indomitable  tenacity ; 
and  where  Champlain  was  present  there  was  no 
room  for  despair.  ' 

The  settlement  was  soon  removed  to  Port  Royal, 
and  Champlain  continued  his  explorations.  He 
took  observations,  made  charts,  and  carefully  ex- 
amined every  bay,  river,  harbor,  and  island  from 
Nova  Scotia  to  Cape  Cod  in  Massachusetts.  Thus 
the  first  coast  survey  of  New  England  was  made  by 
a  Catholic  Pioneer  fifteen  years  before  the  Puritans 
landed  at  Plymouth. 

But  we  must  now  leave  the  hapless  colony  of 
Acadia,  and  follow  Champlain  to  the  great  labor 
of  his  life.  He  directed  the  attention  of  De  Monts 
to  Canada.  That  nobleman  obtained  a  monopoly 
of  the  fur  trade  of  Henry  IV.  for  one  year,  and  it 
was  at  once  decided  to  establish  a  colony  on  the 
St.  Lawrence.  De  Monts  appointed  Champlain  his 
lieutenant,  with  all  necessary  powers. 

In  1608,  Champlain  sailed  from  Honfleur,  and  was 


Samuel  De  Champlain. 


187 


soon  on  his  way  up  the  great  river  of  Canada.  He 
cast  anchor  at  a  point  where  the  St.  Lawrence 
was  narrowed  by  a  bold  rocky  cape  that  thrust  itself 
into  the  channel,  and  was  crowned  by  vines  and 
walnuts.  The  natives  called  it  Quebec.  Stadacone 
had  disappeared.  The  eagle  eye  of  Champlain  saw 
in  this  striking  place  the  key  to  the  valley  of  the 
St.  Lawrence ;  and  in  July  he  laid  the  foundation 
of  what  was  destined  to  be  one  of  the  most  famous 
cities  in  America. 

"Our  habitation,"  wrote  the  founder  of  Quebec, 
"  is  in  forty-six  and  a  half  degrees  north  latitude. 
The  country  is  pleasant  and  beautiful.  It  is  suitable 
for  all  kinds  of  grain.  The  forests  are  stocked  with 
a  variety  of  trees.  Fruits  are  plentiful — wild,  of 
course — as  the  walnut,  cherry,  plum,  raspberry, 
gooseberry,  etc.  The  rivers  produce  fish  in  abun- 
dance, and  the  quantity  of  game  is  infinite." 

The  little  French  colony  sat  down  on  the  hanks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence.  Before  it  took  firm  root  in 
the  soil,  however,  it  was  condemned  to  be  shaken 
by  many  a  tempest — to  be  decimat'^d  by  disease, 
tormented  by  the  Iroquois,  and  attacked  by  its 
neighbors  of  New  England.  Indeed,  during  a  long 
period,  it  seemed  to  be  on  the  point  of  perishing; 
but,  with  the  aid  of  Providence,  it  picked  up  vigor, 
and  finished  by  naturalizing  itself  under  the  rigorous 
sky  of  Canada.' 

•  Ferland. 


1 88 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


i 


When  the  first  long  winter  at  the  rude  fort  of 
Quebec  had  passed  away — leaving  only  eight  men 
alive  out  of  twenty-eight — Champlain  felt  strongly 
urged  to  begin  the  work  of  exploring  the  country. 
But  it  was  a  dangerous  enterprise.  He  quickly 
learned  what  was  meant  by  scalping-parties  of 
savages.  As  he  was  one  of  the  bravest  of  men,  how- 
ever, the  perilous  toil  had  its  fascinations. 

At  that  time,  two  great  Indian  families — the 
Hurons  and  Algonquins — ranged  the  woods  of 
Canada,  and  claimed  to  be  *'  lords  of  the  fowl  and 
the  brute,"  in  its  wilderness.  The  Algonquin 
hunters  roamed  the  wide  territory  that  stretches 
from  the  city  of  Quebec  along  to  the  head-waters 
of  the  Ottawa  Riv'er ;  while  the  Hurons  inhabited 
villages  in  a  country  of  limited  extent,  which  lay 
south  of  Georgian  Bay.  The  Hurons  and  Algon- 
quins were  allies  in  a  deadly  struggle  with  the 
Iroquois,  or  Five  Nations — famous  warriors  of  hardy 
mould  and  fierce  disposition,  who  occupied  fortified 
towns  in  what  is  now  the  central  part  of  the  State 
of  New  York.' 

The  assistance  of  the  great  white  chief  at  Quebec 
was  eagerly  sought  by  his  red  neighbors.  Fighting 
and  exploration  went  hand  in  hand.  One  day,  in 
the  summer  of  1609,  a  fleet  of  canoes  might  be 
seen  skimming  along  the  calm  surface  of  the 
Richelieu  River.     It  was  a  wpr-party  of  Hurons  and 

'  Lives  0/  the  Catholic  Heroes  and  Heroines  of  America. 


Samuel  De  Champlain. 


189 


Algonquins  on  their  way  to  attack  the  Iroquois ; 
and  Champlain  and  two  Frenchmen,  well  armed, 
were  in  company.  The  canoes,  at  length,  gliilcd 
into  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  which  to-day  bears 
the  name  of  Lake  Champlain,  after  its  intrepid  dis- 
coverer. 

When  paddling  near  the  historic  site  of  Crown 
Point,  the  allies  suddenly  fell  in  with  a  party  of  their 
enemies.  The  canoes  were  pulled  ashore.  For 
reasons  of  policy,  the  three  Frenchmen  were  hidden 
in  the  ranks  of  the  Hurons  and  Algonquins.  About 
two  hundred  Iroquois  warriors  stepped  to  the  con- 
flict with  great  order  and  steadiness.  At  their 
head  were  three  chiefs  who  could  be  easily  recog- 
nized by  their  long,  waving  plumes. 

The  two  parties  being  face  to  face,  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  each  other,  the  allies  opened  their  ranks, 
and  loudly  called  on  Champlain  to  come  to  the 
front.  He  wore  a  coat  of  light  armor,  and  had  four 
balls  in  his  gun.  '*  I  walked  some  twenty  paces 
ahead,"  he  writes  ,  "  till  I  was  within  thirty  paces 
of  the  enemy,  when  they  perceived  me,  and  halted 
to  look  at  me,  and  I  at  them.  As  I  saw  them 
moving  to  fire  at  us,  I  raised  my  arquebuse,  and 
aimed  directly  at  or.e  of  the  three  chiefs." 

Two  chiefs  and  a  warrior  fell  mortally  wounded. 
Then  arose  a  series  of  wild  war-cries  that  were 
echoed  back  by  the  Adirondacks,  and  a  shower  of 
arrows  filled  the  air.     The  two  other  IVenchmen 


w 


Hi 


190 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  0/  America. 


were  concealed  behind  trees,  and  now  one  of  them 
discharged  his  arquebuse.  This  ended  the  battle. 
The  Iroquois  broke  and  fled  in  terror.  It  w?s  the 
30th  of  July,  1609 — nearly  two  months  before 
Henry  Hudson  entered  New  York  Bay.  Thus 
Champlain  was  the  first  white  man  whose  foot 
pressed  the  soil  of  New  York  ;  he  was  the  first  of 
that  countless  crowd  of  tourists  who  now  visit  the 
Adirondacks — not  to  fight  the  vanished  Mohawk, 
but  to  find  health  and  pleasure. 

Champlain,  on  arriving  at  Quebec,  sailed  tor 
France.  He  gave  De  Monts  an  account  of  his  labors 
and  explorations ;  and  had  a  pleasant  interview 
with  his  old  master,  Henry  IV..  to  whom  he  pre- 
sented a  belt  adorned  with  porcupine's  quills.  But 
his  stay  was  short.  He  was  soon  in  Canada,  again 
fighting,  exploring,  and  building  up  the  infant 
colony. 

It  was  during  a  visit  to  Paris  two  years  later 
that  he  married  Miss  Helena  Boull^,  a  gifted  and 
beautiful  girl,  who — unknown  to  the  hero  ot  the 
Canadian  forests — had  been  secretly  educated  a 
Protestant.  Under  his  instruction,  however  she 
became  a  pious  and  sincere  Catholic,  and  God 
blessed  their  companionship. 

In  161 3.  Champlain,  misled  by  the  story  of  a 
lying  Frenchman,  named  Du  Vignan,  set  out  in 
search  of  a  northwest  sea.  He  paddled  up  the 
turbid  current  of  the  Ottawa,  till  the  far-away  island 


Samuel  Dc  Champlain. 


191 


of  Allumette  was  reached.  Great  was  the  astonish- 
ment  of  the  savages  on  seeing  the  bold  pioneer. 
"These  white  men  must  have  fallen  from  the 
clouds,''  exclaimed  an  old  warrior.  '*  How  else 
could  they  have  reached  us  through  the  woods  and 
rapids  which  even  we  find  it  hard  to  pass?  The 
French  chief  can  do  anything.  All  that  we  have 
heard  of  him  must  be  true. 

When  he  learned  that  he  was  deceived  in  hoping 
to  find  a  great  sea  and  a  road  to  China  in  that 
direction,  Champlain  turned  about  and  pursued  his 
way  homewards,  accompanied  by  a  number  of 
Indian  traders.  On  reaching  the  Chaudiere  Falls,  at 
the  site  of  the  present  capital  of  Canada,  he  witnessed 
a  ceremony  which  the  savages  never  omitted  in 
passing  that  picturesque  but  dangerous  place.  The 
dusky  voyagers  assembled  at  the  bottom  of  the 
foam.ng  waterfall.  "  They  stood  in  a  circle.  A 
wooden  plate  was  passed  around,  and  each  deposited 
on  it  a  small  piece  of  tobacco.  The  collection  made, 
they  sang  around  the  plate.  A  harangue  was  pro- 
nounced. Then  all  followed  to  see  the  tobacco 
thrown  into  the  Falls;  and  this  offering  to  the 
guardian  Manitou'  was  accompanied  by  a  general 
and  prolonged  shout.  To  pass  down  without  making 
the  accustomed  gift  would  be  to  insult  the  Manitou 
and  call  forth  his  vengeance! 

•  Manitou,  ihe  Indian  woid  foi  sf>iri(. 

"  Poor,  simple  souis  ;  they  fancied,  in  every  lirinR  thine 
A  spirit  good  01  evu,  that  claimed  their  worshipping  '" 


5  '!! 


tg2 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  America. 


While  Canada  had  careless  royal  protectors,  and 
greedy  merchants  looked  to  it  for  lurs  and  profit, 
Champlain  was  its  true  life  and  soul.  He  says  that 
he  bore  his  toils  and  hardships,  in  order  "  to  plant 
in  this  country  the  standard  of  the  Cross,  and  to 
teach  the  knowledge  of  God  and  the  glory  of  His 
Holy  Name."  He  longed  to  rescue  from  perdition 
A  people  living  "like  brute  beasts,  without  faith, 
without  law,  without  religion,  without  God.  In 
short,  the  noble  founder  of  Quebec  declares  that 
'  the  salvation  of  a  single  soul  is  worth  more  than 
the  conquest  of  an  empire.' 

I  have  already  related  in  the  life  of  Father  Le 
Caron,  how  Champlain  brought  three  priests  and  a 
lay  brother  to  Quebec.  This  was  the  foundation- 
stone  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Canada.  The  first 
Mass  in  the  rude  little  capital  was  celebrated  by 
Father  John  Dolbeau  on  the  25th  of  June,  161 5. 
'*  Nothing  was  wanting  to  render  this  action  solemn 
as  far  as  the  simplicity  of  the  infant  colony  would 
permit.  .  .  All  made  their  confessions  and  received 
Holy  Communion.  The  7>  Deum  was  chanted, 
and  its  sounds  mingled  with  the  roar  of  the  artillery 
and  the  acclamations  of  joy,  which  were  reechoed 
by  the  surrounding  solitudes." 

In  fulfilment  of  a  promise  to  the  savages,  Cham 
plain  started  for  the  Huron  country  in  161 5,  shortly 
after  Father  Le  Caron  had  passed  along  the  same 
long,  wild,  and  tedious  pathway.     He  paddled  up 


Samuel  De  Champlain. 


193 


the  St.  Lawrence,  stemmed  the  rapid  currents  of 
the  Ottawa,  skimmed  over  Lake  Nipissing,  and 
down  the  French  River  into  Georgian  Bay,  at  the 
southern  portion  of  which  lay  the  Huron  villages, 
scattered  in  various  directions.  He  arrived  in  time 
to  be  present  at  the  first  Mass  said  in  Western 
Canada.     Father  Le  Caron  was  the  celebrant. 

A  council  of  war  was  held  in  the  chief  village, 
and  it  was  decided  to  attack  the  Iroquois  in  their 
own  country.  Champlain  and  twelve  armed  French- 
men accompanied  the  Huron  war-party.  They 
crossed  the  wilderness  of  Western  Canada,  launched 
a  fleet  of  canoes  on  Lake  Ontario — Champlain 
being  the  first  white  man  who  gazed  on  its  sparkling 
waters — landed  on  the  New  York  side,  and  advanced 
to  attack  a  fortified  Seneca  town.  But  after  three 
hours'  hard  fighting,  they  were  repulsed.  Cham- 
plain and  seventeen  warriors  were  wounded.  The 
allies  lost  no  time  in  making  for  home;  and  the 
"  great  French  chief"  was  obliged  to  pass  the  winter 
in  a  Huron  wigwam,  over  nine  hundred  miles  from 
Quebec. 

When  Champlain  returned  to  Quebec  in  July, 
i6i6,  the  Franciscan  Fatners  offered  a  solemn  Mass 
of  thanksgiv^ing  in  their  little  chapel.  But  all  was 
confusion  and  disorder.  The  bickerings  between 
the  Catholics  and  Huguenots  were  ceaseless. 
The  faithless  merchants  who  should  have  en- 
couraged colonization,  opposed  it,  and  sought  only 


II 


194 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


'i 


H 


^n1 


to  purchase  furs  at  low  prices  from  the  savages. 
•'It  was  to  the  advantage  of  their  pockets  that  the 
Indian  and  the  wild  beasts  that  he  pursued,  should 
continue  to  occupy  the  continent,  undisturbed  by 
the  coming-in  of  strangers.  And  thus  they  thwarted 
to  the  utmost  all  the  efforts  of  Champlain.  In  de- 
fiance of  authority,  they  paid  in  fire-arms  and 
brandy  for  tlie  furs  which  were  brought  to  them  ; 
and  the  red  men,  whose  souls  Champlain  so 
earnestly  desired  to  save,  were  being  corrupted  and 
destroyed  by  the  greed  of  his  countrymen." ' 

In  the  midst,  however,  of  difficulties  that  would 
have  disheartened  and  disgusted  any  other  man, 
the  pious  and  chivalrous  Champlain  looked  up  to 
Heaven,  and  toiled  for  the  interest  of  the  colony 
with  energy  and  devotion.  His  young  and  amiable 
wife  accompanied  him  to  Quebec  in  1620.  During 
the  four  years  she  remained  in  Canada,  she  learned 
Algonquin,  taught  the  little  savages  the  catechism, 
and  shed  a  happy  influence  around  her.'  Im- 
migration  began  to  swell  the  number  of  inhabit- 
ants.  A  settlement  was  formexJ  at  Three  Rivers. 
The  capital  was  making  fair  progress;  but  re- 
ligious troubles  blasted  the  happiness  of  the 
colony.  Misfortune,  however,  did  her  worst,  when 
the  sorely-tried  Champlain  was  obliged  to  surrender 
Quebec  to  an  English  armament  under  Sir  David 
Kirk  in  1629. 


>  Mackenzie.       >  After  Champlain's  death,  she  became  an  Ursuline. 


Samuel  De  Chavtplain. 


lys 


The  great  pioneer  hastened  to  Paris,  and  used 
his  efforts  so  successfully  that  Canada  was  restored 
to  France  three  years  later.  In  1633,  he  landed  at 
Quebec,  bearing  liis  commission  as  Governor  of 
Canada.  The  Indians  were  delighted.  Ihe  colony 
grew  in  numbers  and  prosperity.  A  band  of  Jesuit 
Fathers  arrived ;  and  the  illustrious  De  Brebeuf 
and  two  others  prepared  to  labor  in  the  Huron 
country.  Champlain  introduced  them  to  a  party 
of  chiefs  and  warriors.  ''These  are  our  Fathers," 
said  the  venerable  man.  "  We  love  them  more 
than  we  love  ourselves.  The  whole  French  nation 
honors  them.  They  do  not  go  among  you  for  your 
furs.  They  have  left  their  friends  and  their  coun- 
try to  show  you  the  way  to  Heaven.  H  you  love 
the  French,  as  you  say  you  love  them,  then  love 
and  honor  these  our  Fathers."  The  wonderful 
story  of  the  Huron  mission  will  be  found  in  the 
lives  of  Le  Caron,  Jogues,  Daniel,  and  De  Brebeuf. 

The  Jesuits  founded  at  Quebec  the  first  college 
in  the  New  World  north  of  Mexico.  "  Its  founda- 
"tion  was  laid,"  writes  Bancroft,  "  under  happ)- 
auspices,  in  1635,  just  before  Champlain  passed 
from  among  the  living ;  and  two  years  before  the 
immigration  of  John  Harvard,  and  one  year  before 
the  General  Court  of  Massachussettshad  made  pro- 
visions for  a  college." 

The  angel  of  death  came  in  the  midst  of  those 
happy  circumstances.     It  was  on  Christmas  Day, 


1^6 


I  he  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


wi 


1635,  that  the  bright,  heroic  spirit  of  Samuel  dc 
Champlain,  fortified  by  all  the  consolations  of  that 
holy  religion  he  had  loved  and  practised  so  well, 
"bade  adieu  to  the  frame  it  had  animated,  and  to 
the  rugged  cliff  where  he  had  toiled  so  long  to  lay 
the  corner-stone  of  a  Christian  empire." 

"  Of  the  pioneers  of  the  North  American  forests," 
says  Parkman,  "  his  name  stands  foremost  on  the 
list.  It  was  he  who  struck  the  deepest  and  boldest 
strokes  into  the  heart  of  their  pristine  barbarism. 
At  Chantilly,  at  P'ontainebleau,  at  Paris,  in  the  cabi 
nets  of  princes  and  of  royalty  itself,  mingling  with 
the  proud  vanities  of  the  Court ;  then  lost  from 
sight  in  the  depths  of  Canada,  the  companion  of 
savages,  sharer  of  their  toils,  privations,  and  battles, 
more  hardy,  patient,  and  bold  than  they — such  for 
successive  years  were  the  alternations  of  his  life. 
Here,  while  New  England  was  a  solitude,  and  the 
settlers  of  Virginia  scarcely  dared  venture  inland 
beyond  the  sound  of  cannon-shot,  Champlain  was 
planting  on  shores  and  islands  the  emblems  of  his 
Faith.'" 

"Champlain,"  writes  Charlevoix,  "may  well  be 
called  the  Father  of  Canada.  He  had  good  sense, 
much  penetration,  and  very  upright  views ;  and  no 
man  was  ever  more  skilled  in  adopting  a  course  in 
the  most    complicated   affairs.     Wh:it   all    admired 

'  "  They  were  large  crosses  of  white  cedar,  placed  at  various  points  along 
the  xwtx.*^— Parkman, 


Satnuel  De  Champlain. 


'y/ 


most  in  him  was  his  constancy  in  following  up  his 
enterprises;  his  Brmness  in  the  greatest  dangers; 
a  courage  proof  against  the  most  unforeseen  reverses 
and  disappointments;  ardent  and  disinterested 
patriotism ;  a  heart  tender  and  compassionate  for 
the  unhappy,  and  more  attentive  to  the  interests  of 
his  friends  than  his  own ;  and  a  high  sense  of  honor 
and  great  probity.  His  memoirs  show  that  he  was 
not  ignorant  of  anything  that  one  of  his  profession 
should  know ;  and  we  find  in  him  a  faithful  and 
sincere  historian,  an  attentively  observant  traveller, 
a  wise  writer,  a  good  mathematician,  and  an  able 
'Tiariner.  But  what  crowns  all  these  good  qualities 
is  the  fact  that  in  his  life,  as  well  as  in  his  writings, 
he  shows  himself  always  a  truly  Christian  man, 
zealous  for  the  service  of  God,  and  full  of  candor 
and  religion.  He  was  accustomed  to  say  what  we 
read  in  his  memoirs,  '  that  the  salvation  of  a  single 
boul  is  worth  more  than  the  conquest  of  an  empire.* " 


Iy8 


The  Catholic  Pio/ucrs  oj  A merica* 


ss 


ISAAC   JOGUES,  S.  J., 

THE   FIRST  APOSTLE  OF    THE  IROQUOIS. 
Died  A.  D,  1646. 

NE  of  the  brightest  names  in  the  missionary 
history  of  North  America  is  that  of  Isaac 
Jogues.  He  was  born  in  the  city  of  Orleans, 
France,  on  January  loth,  1607.  At  the  early  age  of 
seventeen,  he  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus  ;  and  hav- 
ing laid  a  solid  founda^^ion  of  virtue,  and  gone 
through  a  brilliant  course  of  study,  he  was  ordained 
priest  in  1636.  > 

Lalement,  his  preceptor,  had  often  repeated  to 
Jogues  the  prophetic  words,  **  Brother,  you  will  die 
in  Canada  ;"  and  on  becoming  acquainted,  at  the 
College  of  Rouen,  with  the  illustrious  De  Brebcuf, 
who  had  just  returned  from  the  wilds  of  the  New 
World,  the  young  Jesuit's  desire  of  laboring  in  a 
foreign  mission  received  a  fresh  impulse.  He  was 
soon  sent  to  Canada.  . 

After  a  tedious  voyage  of   nearly  three  months 
Father  Jogues  first  beheld  the  rude  ramparts  of  the 
since  famous  city  of  Quebec.     It  was  in  the  summer 
of  1636.     He  was  told  that  his  destination  was  the 


Isaac  ypgueSy  S.% 


190 


Huron  mission — the  scene  of  Le  Caron's  toils — in  a 
wild  region  a\  or-^  nine  hundred  miles  inland.  No 
steamer  then  cu  the  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  a  journey  at  that  time  was  anything  but  s 
pleasure  excursion. 

Crouching  in  a  bark  canoe,  and  barefooted,  lest  his 
shoes  should  injure  the  frail  :raft,  Father  Jogues* 
turned  his  face  towards  the  west.  The  party  skimmed 
along  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  priest  was  obliged  to 
keep  a  profound  silence,  as  his  Indian  companions 
and  nimself  could  not  understand  one  another. 
Their  only  food  was  a  pittance  of  Indian  corn  crushed 
between  two  stones,  and  mixed  with  wacer.  At 
night  they  stretched  themselves  on  the  banks  of  the 
river.  The  canoe  and  baggage  had  to  be  carried  foi 
miles  around  scores  of  swift  rapids  and  savage 
cataracts.  After  stemming  the  currents  of  th«. 
picturesque  Ottawa,  the  party  glided  mto  Lake 
Nipissing,  passed  down  the  French  River,  and  along 
the  shores  of  the  great  Georgian  Bay,  finally  draw- 
ing their  light  craft  aground  in  a  region  washed  by 
its  southern  waters.  This  was  the  Huron  country — 
the  seat  of  the  most  famous  mission  in  North 
America. 

Great  was  the  joy  in  the  bark  cabin  of  the  Jesuits 
on  the  arrival  of  the  new  Father.  He  was  received 
"  as  an  angel  from  heaven." 

The  lives  of  these  devoted  missionaries  might  be 
called    the  romance  of  holy  heroism.     They  were 


200 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


thousands  of  miles  from  the  civilized  world,  and  its 
prizes  and  comforts.  A  bark  hut  was  their  mansion, 
and  the  Fathers  sat  on  large  logs  instead  of  chairs. 
Pounded  Indian  corn  formed  the  usual  repast.  The 
smoke-holes  of  the  roof  let  in  the  only  light  for  study 
or  reading.  From  the  sheets  of  bark  on  which  they 
slept,  a  bell  aroused  them  at  four  o'clock  each  morn 
ing.  Masses,  private  devotions,  reading,  and  break- 
fast preceded  the  labors  of  the  day  among  the 
savages.  It  was  a  work  that  called  for  the  patience 
of  Job.  When  small-pox  swept  the  villages,  the  toil 
of  the  missionaries  amid  woeful  scenes  of  misery, 
and  the  ungrateful  curses  of  the  red-skins,  must 
have  been  to  the  last  degree  revolting  to  human 
nature. 

The  Jesuits  often  made  journeys  both  long  and 
difficult.  On  one  occasion,  Father  Jogues  and  a 
companion  were  sent  to  open  a  mission  among  the 
Indians  of  the  Tobacco  Nations.  The  distance  was 
about  thirty  miles  through  dense  forests.  It  was 
mid  winter,  and  the  trees  were  bowed  down  with 
vast  burdens  of  snow.  The  Fathers  missed  their 
way,  and  night  overtook  them  in  a  swamp  studded 
with  snow-bedecked  spruces.  They  made  a  bed  of 
the  branches ;  and  "  praised  be  God,"  says  Jogues, 
"  we  passed  a  very  good  night." 

After  toiling  for  five  years  among  the  Hurons 
and  their  dusky  neighbors,  Father  Jogues  pene- 
trated westward   and   preached   the  true  Faith  at 


V 


Isaac  y agues,  S.  ^. 


201 


r 


Sault  Ste.  Marie.  He  was  the  first  to  plant  the 
Cross  on  the  soil  of  Michigan.  To  obtain  supplies 
for  his  new  mission,  he  proceeded  to  Quebec  in 
1642.  In  the  summer  of  that  year  he  was  returning 
with  a  party  of  Huron  warriors,  numbering  about 
forty,  in  twelve  canoes.  While  paddling  along  the 
St.  Lawrence,  near  the  site  of  the  present  town  of 
Sorel,  they  fell  into  an  Iroquois  ambuscade.  Nearly 
all  were  killed,  or  taken  prisoners.  Father  Jogaes, 
young  Rene  Goupil,  and  a  noted  Christian  chief 
named  Ahatsistari,  were  among  the  unhappy 
captives. 

A  number  of  Iroquois  fell  on  the  Jesuit  with  the 
fury  of  demons,  and  beat  him  with  their  fists 
and  war-clubs  until  he  was  half-dead  ;  and  when 
he  revived  a  little,  they  chewed  his  fingers  with 
their  teeth.  Goupil  was  treated  with  the  same 
ferocity.  Then  the  journey  homeward  commenced. 
Paddling  up  the  Richelieu  River,  they  glided  into 
Lake  Champlain,  and  on  a  small  island  at  its 
southern  extremity  they  were  met  by  a  band  of 
some  two  hundred  Mohawk  warriors,  who  greeted 
their  victorious  countrymen  with  volleys  of  mus- 
ketry. 

Here  on  the  side  of  a  rocky  hill,  the  prisoners 
were  subjected  to  the  most  cruel  treatment  for  the 
amusement  of  their  ferocious  captors.  The  savages 
formed  two  lines,  each  warrior  being  armed  with  a 
tough,  knotted  club.     Through  the  narrow  passage 


nr 


202 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


between  the  two  lines,  and  up  the  steep  declivity, 
the  miserable  prisoners  were  obliged  to  wend  their 
via  dolorosa.  Blows  from  the  Indian  clubs  fell  with 
furious  rapidity,  as  the  neighboring  rocks  and 
valleys  echoed  the  yells  of  the  delighted  Mohawks. 
This  inhuman  punishment  was  called  "running  the 
gauntlet."  Father  Jogues  was  last  in  the  line,  and 
got  the  lion's  share  in  a  storm  of  blows.  He  fell 
drenched  in  blood,  after  which  his  hands  were 
mangled,  and  fire  applied  to  his  naked  body. 

A  night  of  woe  in  the  company  of  clouds  of  mos- 
quitos  succeeded.  Next  morning  the  party  pushed 
on,  and  soon  came  in  sight  of  Lake  George.  "  First 
of  white  men,"  says  Parkman,  *'  Jogues  and  his 
companions  gazed  on  the  romantic  lake  that  bears 
the  name,  not  of  its  gentle  discoverer,  but  of  the 
dull  Hanoverian  king.  Like  a  fair  Naiad  of  the 
wilderness,  it  slumbered  between  the  guardian 
mountains  that  breathe  from  crag  and  forest  the 
stern  poetry  of  war." 

In  a  frightful  condition,  half-starved,  tormented 
by  mosquitos,  and  sinking  under  a  heavy  load, 
Father  Jogues  was  compelled  to  advance.  Thirteen 
days  were  consumed  on  his  painful  journey  from  the 
St.  Lawrence  to  the  Indian  villages  on  the  banks  of 
the  Mohawk.  He  was  again  twice  obliged  to  run 
the  gauntlet,  which  he  happily  terms  "the  narrow 
road  to  Paradise."  His  torments  indeed  had  merely 
commenced.     Nearly  all   his    fingers  were  cut   off 


.  J 


Isaac  Jogues,  S.  J.  203 

joint  by  joint.  His  toes  were  similarly  mutilated; 
and  they  burned  his  naked  body  with  red-hot  irons.' 
In  short,  cruelties  the  most  diabolical  were  repeated 
in  the  various  Mohawk  towns  through  which  the 
heroic  Jesuit  was  compelled  to  pass.  The  mind 
revolts  at  the  terrible  recital  of  his  sufferings. 

Father  Jogues's   young  French   companion,  the 
brave  and  pious  Goupil,  had   likewise   to  undergo 
the  most  cruel  torments.     A   fanatical   Dutchman 
had  informed  the  savages  that  the  sign  of  the  cross 
came  from  the  devil.     Goupil   was  seen  instructing 
a   child    to  make  this    sacred   sign,  and  a   deadly 
blow  from  a  tomahawk  finished    his  career  in  this 
world.     The  young  hero  died  murmuring  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.     '*  He  was  a  martyr,"  writes  Father 
Jogues,  '*  not  only  of  obedience,   but  of  faith  and 
the  Cross." 

Father  Jogues's  painful  captivity  lasted  over  a 
year.  Nor  was  it  time  spent  in  vain.  Like  a  good 
angel  he  passed  around,  and  God  passed  with  him. 
So  far  as  his  restraints  would  permit,  he  instructed 
children,  and  baptized  dying  infants — thus  trans- 
forming little  Indians  into  little  angels.  He  com- 
forted many  Huron  prisoners,  heard  their  confes- 
sions, and,  often  in  the  midst  of  the  flames,  en- 
couraged them  to  meet  the  terrors  of  death  with 
manly  fortitude  and  Ciiristian  resignation.  An 
Indian  woman  was  condemned  to  be  burned.  He 
baptized  her  in  the  fire,  while  lifting  a  cup  of  water 


204 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


to  her  parched  lips.  On  another  occasion  the  holy 
priest  was  thrown  an  ear  of  corn  for  his  meal.  A 
few  drops  of  rain  water  clun^r  to  the  husks,  and 
with  these  he  baptized  two  captive  converts. 

But  he  knew  not  his  own  fate.  His  life  hung  by 
a  hair.  He  lived  in  daily  expectation  of  the  toma- 
hawk, and  at  times  he  would  have  welcomed  a  blow 
as  a  boon.  He  sometimes  wandered  in  the  woods, 
saying  his  rosary,  raising  his  heart  to  God,  and  re- 
peating passages  of  Holy  Scripture. 

"  On  a  hill  apart,"  writes  Bancroft,  "  he  carved  a 
long  cross  on  a  tree,  and  there,  in  the  solitude, 
meditated  the  Imitation  of  Christ,  and  soothed  his 
griefs  by  reflecting  that  he  alone,  in  that  vast  re- 
gion, adored  the  true  God  of  earth  and  heaven. 
Roaming  through  the  stately  forests  of  the  Mo- 
hawk valley,  he  wrote  the  name  of  Jesus  on  the 
bark  of  trees,  engraved  the  cross,  and  entered  into 
possession  of  these  countries  in  the  name  of  God — 
often  lifting  up  his  voice  in  a  solitary  chant." 

"This  living  martyr,"  says  Parkman,  "half-clad 
in  shaggy  furs,  kneeling  in  the  snow  among  the 
icicled  rocks  and  beneath  the  gloomy  pines,  bowing 
in  adoration  before  the  emblem  of  the  faith  in 
which  was  his  only  consolation  and  his  only  hope, 
alike  a  theme  for  the  pen  and  a  subject  for  the 
pencil. 

Father  u  u  .  days  of  captivity  drew  to  a  close 
in  the  li.  t    .»vl  and  adventure.      After  much 


Isaac  yogucs,  S.  J. 


205 


difificulty,  the  Dutch  of  Fort  Orange  effected  his 
release  by  generously  paying  a  large  sum  for  his 
ransom.  He  boarded  a  small  vessel,  and  for  the 
first  time  a  Catholic  priest  sailed  down  that  beau- 
tiful river, 

*  Where  Hudson's  wave  o'er  silvery  sands 
Winds  through  the  hills  afar." 

On  arriving  at  New  Amsterdam,  he  was  received 
with  much  honor  by  Governor  Kieft,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  some  time.  This  was  in  the  fall  of 
1643.  Manhattan  Island  was  then  a  rude  place, 
containing  about  five  hundred  inhabitants,  a  motley 
crowd  of  so  many  nationalities,  that  the  Governor 
informed  Father  Jogues  that  eighteen  languages 
were  spoken  in  their  midst.  The  apostolic  Jesuit 
found  just  two  Catholics — a  young  Irishman  and  a 
Portuguese  woman.  The  faithful,  warm-hearted 
son  of  Erin  had  the  honor  and  happiness  of  making 
his  confession,  and  receiving  absolution  from  the 
martyr  of  the  fierce  Mohawks,  the  first  priest  who 
had  ever  set  foot  on  Manhattan  Island.  This  was 
the  first  time  the  Sacrament  of  Penance  was  ad- 
ministered in  the  great  Empire  City,  which  is  now 
the  see  of  a  Cardinal-Archbishop,  and  contains 
fifty  Catholic  churches. 

The  hospitable  Governor  Kieft  gave  Father 
Jogues  a  new  suit  of  clothes — something  he  was 
painfully  in  need  of — and  procured  him  a  passage  in 


206 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  vurica. 


the  first  \'p'3sel  bound  for  the  shores  of  his  native 
France.  The  voyage  was  long  and  painful.  A  storm 
cast  the  vessel  on  the  coast  of  England,  and  the 
martyr-Jesuit  fell  into  the  hands  of  some  thievish 
wreckers — a  band  of  men  little  removed  in  barbar- 
ism  from  the  wild  Mohawks  that  ranged  the  forests 
of  New  York.  He  was  stripped  of  everything  he 
possessed.  Ilvcn  his  clothes  were  not  spared. 
After  many  hardships,  however,  he  found  his  way 
across  the  English  Channel  in  a  collier's  bark,  and 
was  landed  on  the  shores  of  Brittany,  December  25th, 
1643. 

It  was  Christmas  morning,  and  the  venerable 
Jesuit,  in  a  rude  sailor's  coat,  leaning  on  a  staff, 
pushed  along  towards  the  highway  unrecognized- 
How  his  heart  swelled  with  gladness  !  To  the  good 
peasants  he  at  once  became  an  object  of  tender 
sympathy.  At  first  they  took  him  for  some  poor 
Irish  Catholic  who  had  fled  from  the  ferocious  penal 
laws  of  England.  On  learning  his  desire  to  go  to 
church,  they  lent  him  a  hat  and  a  little  cloak.  He 
made  his  confession,  received  Holy  Communion, 
and  heard  Mass — for  the  first  time  in  sixteen 
months. 

On  returning  from  Mass,  his  kind  hosts  first  be- 
held the  mutilated  condition  of  his  hands,  and  the 
great  missionary  was  compelled  to  satisfy  their 
pious  curiosity.  He  gave  them  a  modest  sketch  of 
his  adventures,  and  they  listened  in  pity  and  ad- 


Isaac  JogHtSy  S.  J. 


207 


miration.  The  little  girls  were  so  moved  that  they 
offered  him  their  pocket-money  as  an  alms.  -'They 
came,"  says  the  famous  Jesuit,  "with  so  much 
modesty  and  generosity  to  offer  me  two  or  three 
pence — which  was  perhaps  all  their  treasure — that 
I  was  moved  to  tears." 

By  the  assistance  of  these  good  peasants,  Father 
Jogues  was  enabled  to  reach  the  city  of  Rennes, 
which  contained  a  college  of  his  Society.  It  was 
early  morning,  and  when  the  porter  came  to  the 
door  to  answer  the  call,  he  beheld  a  poor  and 
almost  deformed  beggar.  The  stranger  humbly 
asked  if  he  could  see  the  Rector.  The  porter 
hastily  answered,  that  he  was  about  to  say  Mass, 
and  could  not  be  seen  at  that  hour.  "  But,"  per- 
sisted the  stranger,  "  tell  him  that  a  poor  man  from 
Canada  would  gladly  speak  with  him."  The  Father 
Rector  was  putting  on  his  vestments,  when  the 
porter  whispered  the  message.  At  the  name 
*•  Canada,"  which  was  the  great  missionary  field  of 
the  French  Jesuits,  the  Rector  disrobed,  and  at 
once  proceeded  to  the  parlor.  The  poor  and 
ragged  traveller  handed  him  a  letter  of  character 
from  Governor  Kieft.  Without  even  glancing  at 
it,  the  Rector  quickly  inquired  : 

"Are  you  from  Canada?" 

"Yes." 

*'  Do  you  know  Father  Jogues?" 

"  Very  well." 


2o8 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


'•  The  Iroquois  have  taken  him,"  continued  the 
Rector ;  "  is  he  dead  ?     Have  they  murdered  h'm  ?" 

•*  No,"  answered  Jogues,  "he  is  alive,  and  at 
liberty,  and  I  am  he."  As  he  uttered  these  words, 
he  fell  on  his  knees,  asking  his  Superior's  blessing. 

That  was  a  day  of  joy  at  the  College  of  Rem  s. 
Great  was  the  rejoicing  in  the  Society  of  Jesus  over 
all  France.  It  was  supposed  Father  Jogues  was 
dead,  and  his  sudden  reappearance  amongst  them 
was  something  extraordinary.  At  the  French 
Court  he  was  received  as  a  saint  and  martyr.  Queen 
Anne  of  Austria  kissed  his  mutilated  hands.  The 
nobility  and  ladies  of  the  Court  vied  in  exhibiting 
their  deep  sentiments  of  respect  and  veneration. 
Indeed,  the  slave  of  the  Mohawks  became  the  re- 
vered and  "admired  of  all  admirers."  The  Pope 
granted  him  a  special  dispensation  to  celebrate 
Mass  with  his  mutilated  hands,  saying:  "  It  would 
be  unjust  to  refuse  a  martyr  of  Christ  the  privilege 
of  drinking  the  blood  of  Christ." 

It  was  the  desire  of  all  that  Father  Jogues  should 
remain  in  France  ;  but  he  sighed  after  his  American 
missions,  and  returned  to  Canada  in  1645.  In  July 
of  the  next  year  he  was  present  at  the  peace  nego- 
tiations at  Three  Rivers,  between  the  French  and 
Hurons  and  the  Mohawks.  This  event  led  him  to 
conceive  bright  hopes  of  founding  a  permanent 
mission  among  the  Iroquois.  In  May,  1646,  he  set 
out  with  a  companion  for  the  Mohawk  towns,  to 


Isaac  jfogucs,  S.  J. 


209 


confirm  the  peace  already  made.  On  this  journey 
he  again  passed  by  Lake  George,  to  which  he  gave 
the  n.imc  of  Lake  of  the  Holy  Sacrament.  Having 
established  peace  on  what  he  considered  a  firm 
basis,  Father  Jogues  returned  to  Canada  with  the 
intention  of  making  all  the  necessary  preparations 
for  the  conversion  of  the  Five  Nations. 

He  returned  a  second  time  with  his  young  com- 
panion, Lalande,  in  September,  1646.  The  vene- 
rable man  had  a  singular  presentiment  of  his  fate, 
for  previous  to  his  leaving  Canada,  he  wrote  to  a 
friend:  "  I  shall  go,  and  shall  not  return."  He  had 
scarcely  reached  the  confines  of  the  Mohawk  Na- 
tion when  his  danger  became  apparent.  A  little 
box  which  he  had  left  behind  on  his  first  visit  was 
now  returned  to  him.  The  bad  crops,  the  sickness, 
and  all  the  mischief  that  had  befallen  the  nation 
were  attributed  to  the  mysterious  box !  It  sealed 
his  fate. 

Suddenly  seizing  the  holy  missionary,  some 
Mohawks  cut  "  strips  of  flesh  from  his  back  and 
arms,"  at  the  same  time  cruelly  taunting  him. 
"  You  shall  die  to-morrow  !"  was  the  stern  sentence. 
The  sun  of  his  earthly  hope  had  set,  to  rise  again 
in  brighter  skies.  He  was  about  to  water  the  scene 
of  his  toils  and  sufferings  with  the  last  drop  of  his 
blood.  A  murderous  tomahawk  crashed  into  his 
skull  as  he  stooped  to  enter  a  wigwam  ;  and  the 
immortal  missionary  breathed  his  soul  to  God.    His 


2IO  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 

head  was  then  hacked  off,  and  placed  high  on  the 
village  palisades.  It  was  the  i8th  of  October,  1646. 
And  •'  thus,"  says  Parkman,  "  died  Isaac  Jogues, 
one  of  the  purest  examples,  of  Catholic  virtue  which 
.  this  Western  Continent  has  seen.' 


LEONARD  CALVERT, 

THE  FIRUT  GOVERNOR  AND  CHIEF  JUSTICE  OF  MARYLAND 

Died  A.  D.  1647. 

I  HAVE  alread.v  briefly  related  the  life  of  Sir 
George  Calvert,  the  first  Lord  Baltimore,  who 
died  while  on  the  point  of  carrying  out  his  great 
design  of  founding  the  colony  of  Maryland.  His 
eldest  son,  Cecilius,  the  second  Lord  Baltimore,  a 
good  Catholic,  took  immediate  steps  to  carry  out 
the  plans  of  his  illustrious  father.  He  appointed 
his  brother  Leonard,  Governor,  with  full  powers  to 
establish  the  new  colonv. 

The  expedition  was  soon  in  readiness.  It  con- 
sisted of  two  vessels,  the  Ark  and  the  Dove,  en 
board  of  which  were  Governor  Leonard  Calvert,  his 
youngest  brother,  George  Calvert,  Fathers  Andrew 
White  and  John  Altham,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus, 
and  about  two  hundred  emigrants,  **  nearly  all  of 
whom  were  Catholics  and  gentlemen  of  fortune  and 


Leonard  Calvert, 


211 


respectability,  who  desired  to  fly  from  the  spirit  of 
vntolerance  which  pervaded  Enjrland,  and  to  rear  up 
their  altars  in  freedom  in  the  w  ildcrncss." 

'*  On  the  22d  of  November,  in  the  year  1633, 
being  St.  Cecilia's  day,"  says  an  account  of  the 
voyage,  **  we  set  sail  from  Cowcs,  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  with  a  gentle  east  wind  blowing.  And  after 
committing  the  principal  parts  of  the  ship  to  the 
protection  of  God,  and  His  most  Holy  Mother,  and 
St.  Ignatius,  and  all  the  guardian  angels  of  Mary- 
land,'" the  pioneers  bore  away  for  the  New  World. 

After  a  stormy  voyage  of  four  months,  they 
entered  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  were  soon  glad- 
dened  by  the  sight  of  Maryland.  The  colonists 
first  landed  on  a  small  island  which  they  called  St. 
Clement.'  An  impressive  religious  ceremony  marked 
the  occasion. 

"On  the  feast  of  the  Annunciation  of  the  most 
Holy  Virgin  Mary,"  writes  Father  White,  "  the  25th 
of  March,  in  the  year  1634,  we  offered  in  this  island, 
for  the  first  time,  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  .  .  After 
we  had  finished  the  sacrifice,  we  took  upon  our 
shoulders  a  great  cross,  which  we  had  hewn  out  of 
a  tree,  and  advancing  in   order  to  the  appointed 


•  Relatio. 

'The  name  has  disappeared  ;  and  almost  the  whole  oi  the  island,  as  it  seems, 
has  been  washed  away  by  the  river.  It  was  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay, 
which  is  now  called  St.  Clement's  Bay.  All  that  is  left  of  it  is  a  sand-bank  of 
about  ten  acres,  which  can  hardly  be  cultivated.  It  has  kept  the  name  of 
Herons  Island.— Dnlrymple. 


212 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


place,  with  the  assistance  of  the  Governor  and  his 
associates  and  the  other  CathoHcs,  we  erected  it  as 
a  trophy  to  Christ  our  Saviour,  while  the  Litany  of 
the  Holy  Cross  was  humbly  recited  on  bended 
knees  with  great  emotion  of  soul." 

Governor  Calvert,  accompanied  by  Father  Alt- 
ham,  sailed  up  the  Potomac  to  the  principal  village 
of  the  Pascatoways — the  most  powerful  Indian 
tribe  in  that  region.  This  centre  of  dusky  power 
was  situated  some  distance  below  the  site  of 
Washington.  The  Jesuit  prcacl.cd  to  the  chief  and 
his  warriors. 

He  told  them  that  the  pale-faces  had  come 
neither  to  make  war  upon  them,  nor  to  do  them 
any  wrong  ;  but  to  instruct  them  in  Christianity, 
to  make  them  acquainted  with  the  arts  of  civilized 
life,  and  to  live  with  them  like  brothers.  "  You  are 
welcome,"  replied  the  chief;  "we  shall  use  one 
table.  My  people  will  hunt  for  my  brother,  and  all 
things  will  be  in  common  between  us."  Such  was 
the  first  friendly  meeting  between  the  Catholic 
settlers  and  the  gentle  and  peaceful  Indians  of 
Maryland. 

Under  the  grant  of  the  Crown  to  Lord  Baltimore, 
Governor  Calvert  v  s  entitled  to  the  possession  of 
the  soil,  according  to  the  laws  of  nations  ;  but  he 
deemed  it  just  and  prudent  to  purchase  the  rights 
of  the  Indians  to  their  country,  and  gave  them 
some  English  cloth,  axes,  hoes,  and  knives,  in  re- 


Leonard  Calvert. 


213 


e 


,  I- 


turn  for  which  they  granted  him  about  thirty  miles 
of  territory,  embracing  a  tongue  of  land  now  known 
as  St.  Mary's  County. 

An  Indian  village  which  the  Governor  named  St. 
Mary  was  included  in  the  grant.  The  settlers  took 
possession  of  their  new  homes  in  a  few  days.  The 
corner-stone  of  Maryland  was  laid.  "  Fair  and 
beautiful,"  says  McSherry,  "  was  the  origin  of  the 
State.  No  wrong  or  injustice  towards  the  natives 
stained  the  hands  of  its  founders;  no  persecuting 
domination  or  exclusive  franchise  was  reared  upon 
its  shores ;  but  around  the  rough-hewii  cross  ox\ 
the  island  of  St.  Clement,  gathered  the  Catholic 
and  the  Protestant,  hand  in  hand,  friends  ar.d 
brothers,  equal  in  civil  rights,  and  secure  alike  \\\ 
the  free  and  full  enjoyment  of  either  creed." 

It  is  not  surprising  to  learn  that  a  colony  thus 
founded  on  justice  and  freedom  grew  and  flourished. 
New  settlers  arrived.  The  outposts  of  civilization 
were  extended,  and  great  success  attended  the  mis- 
sioi  ary  efforts  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers.  Leonard 
Calvert  proved  himself  a  wi.se  and  just  Governor. 
In  1637,  Lord  Baltimore  sent  him  a  new  commis- 
sion, increasing  his  powers  and  conferring  on  him 
the  titles  of  Chief  Justice  and  Commander-in-Chief 
of  the  Militia.  He  was  also  President  of  the  legis- 
lative assembly. 

"  Some  idea,"  writes  Clarke,  "  may  be  formed  of 
the  primitive  and  infant  condition  of  the  colony  at 


T 

i 


214 


//le  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


i'l; 


_liill 


this  time,  from  a  law  passed  for  the  erection  of  a 
water  mill,  by  which  the  Governor  and  Council 
were  empowered  to  contract  for  the  mill,  the  cost 
of  which  should  not  exceed  20,000  pounds  of  to- 
bacco, then  the  legal  currency  of  the  province, 
equivalent  in  the  currency  of  the  present  day  to 
$333-33K'  which  was  to  be  paid  in  two  years  by  a 
general  assessment  of  the  inhabitants." 

The  fame  of  this  wild  home  of  liberty  soon  spread 
abroad,  and  towards  it  the  persecuted  of  every 
clime  bent  their  steps.  "  Catholics,"  says  Bancroft, 
"  who  were  oppressed  by  the  laws  of  England,  were 
sure  to  find  a  peaceful  asylum  in  the  quiet  harbors 
of  the  Chesapeake,  and  there,  too,  Protestants 
were  sheltered  from  Protestant  intolerance."  The 
Puritan  who  was  hunted  out  of  Anglican  Virginia, 
and  the  peaceful  Quaker  whose  ears  were  cropped 
in  Puritan  New  England,  found  a  refuge  among  the 
liberal  and  warm-hearted  Catholics  of  Maryland. 

Ten  years  passed  away  before  misfortune  frowned 
on  what  has  been  so  well  styled  "  the  land  of  the 
sanctuary."  A  party  of  Puritans  who  had  been 
expelled  from  Virginia  in  1642,  and  received  with 
open  arms  in  prosperous  Maryland,  soon  began  to 
manifest  the  spirit  of  insurrection.  In  Clayborne, 
a  bold  and  lawless  man,  who  was  plotting  to  over- 
throw the  government  of  Lord  Baltimore,  they 
found  a  worthy  leader  ;  and  with  base  ingratitude, 
these  vile  men  turned   their  arms  against  the  kind 


Leonard  Calvert. 


215 


le 

1 
to 


friends  who  had  succored  them  in  the  hour 
of  need.  Like  vipers,  they  turned  about,  and  bit 
the  very  benefactors  who  had  warmed  them  into  life. 

In  1644,  Clayborne  and  his .  Protestant  mob 
triumphed.  Leonard  Calvert  was  obliged  to  fly, 
and  with  him  fled  peace,  justice,  and  religion. 
Many  of  the  Catholics  were  robbed  of  their  posses- 
sions, and  banished  from  the  province.  For  two 
years  lawlessness,  usurpation,  and  intolerance  freely 
stalked  the  land.  Even  the  altars  of  religion  were 
ruthlessly  overthrown  ;  and  the  Apostle  of  Mary- 
land and  the  other  good  missionaries  were  seized, 
put  in  irons,  and,  like  criminals,  shipped  to  Eng- 
land. 

The  return,  however,  of  Governor  Calvert  from 
Virginia,  in  1646,  with  a  body  of  troops,  restored 
peace  and  order  to  the  homesteads  of  St.  Mary's. 
The  bigotry  of  the  times  in  England  is  well  illus- 
trated by  an  anecdote  related  by  Burnap.  After 
the  Parliament  had  triumphed  over  the  King,  "  Lord 
Baltimore,  on  the  occurrence  of  some  difficulty  with 
the  Virginia  colony,  was  called  before  a  committe 
of  that  body.  In  the  course  of  the  interview  it 
was  thrown  out  to  his  Lordship  that  he  had  inserted 
a  provision  in  the  laws  of  the  colony  protecting  the 
Virgin  Mary  from  reproach.  Whereupon  a  mem- 
ber of  the  committee  arose  and  said,  that  he  won- 
dered  such  an  excepti(^n  had  been  taken;  'for,'  he 
added,   *  does  not  the  Scripture  say  that  all  genera- 


210 


Till  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


I'    I'. 


tions  shall  call  iier  blessed?'     And    the  argument 
completely  silenced  the  scriptural  canters. ' 

Leonnrd  Calvert  lived  to  seethe  sun  of  peace  and 
prosperity  shine  once  more  on  Maryland,  and  then 
he  passed  to  a  better  vvorld.  He  died  on  the  9th  of 
June,  1647.  He  was  a  good  Catholic  and  a  good 
Governor — so  mild  and  upright  in  the  exercise  of 
his  various  powers,  "  that  no  man  could  ever  say  he 
received  an  injustice  at  his  hands. 

*' During  the  space  of    fourteen  years,"  says  the 
historian  of  Maryland,  "he  had  guided  the  colony 
through  the  storms  which  darkened  around  its  in- 
fancy-— he  had  devoted  his  life  and  energies  to  its 
permanent  establishment — with  a  disinterested  self- 
devotion,  he  had  striven,  in  the  wilderness,  for  its 
glory  and  its  prosperity  ;  and  it  seemed  as  if,  through 
a  special  providence  of  Heaven,  to  reward  his  labors, 
a  beam  of  sunshine  and  tranquillity  had  broken  over 
the  province  as  he  was  about  to  die,  at  peace  with 
all,  triumphant  over  the  enemies  of  Maryland,  full  of 
honor,  and  enriched  with  the  prayers  and  blessings 
of   a    rescued    people.     His   character,    public   and 
private,  was  without  stain.      He  was,  indeed,  a  great 
and  good  man — more  truly  illustrious  in  what  he 
founded  and  reared,  than  the  greatest  conquerors  in 
wliat  they  have  overthrown  and  destroyed.* 

» McSherry. 


»♦  1 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America,  217 


Aj 


NTHONY  DANIEL,  SJ., 

THE  FIRST  MAHTYK  OF  THE  HURO!/  MISSION: 
Died  A.  D.  1649. 

ATHER  ANTHONY  DANIEL,  who  has 
the  glory  of  having  been  the  first  priest 
SB  that  found  a  martyr's  grave  in  the  wilder- 
ness of  the  Huron  mission,  was  born  at  Dieppe, 
France,  in  the  year  1601. 

He  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus  about  the  age  of 
manhood,  and  was  one  of  the  band  of  brave  mis- 
sionaries who  accompanied  Champlain  across  the 
Atlantic  in  1633.  Towards  the  end  of  May  in  that 
year,  the  booming  of  cannon  from  the  little  fortress 
of  Quebec  joyfully  announced  the  arrival  of  the 
Governor  and  four  Jesuit  Fathers*  in  the  sea-beaten 
vessel  that  was  about  to  cast  anchor  in  the  St. 
Lawrence. 

After  more  than  a  year  spent  in  the  study  of  the 
Huron  language  at  Quebec,  Father  Daniel  took  his 
place,  barefooted,  in  a  birch-bark  canoe,  and  began 
the  long,  wild,  dangerous,  and  toilsome  journey  that 
led  to  the  missions.     Fathers  de  Br^beuf  and  Davost 


>  They  were  Fathers  de  Rr^beuf,  Daniel,  Davost,  and  Masse. 


B.I.     !■ 


2l8 


T/ie  Cat  J  10  lie  Pioneers  of  America. 


were   in  different    boats   in    the   same   fleet.    The 

savages  treated  Father  Daniel  with  great  meanness, 

and  even  deserted  him  ;  but  he  was  fortunate  enough 

to  be  picked  up  by  another  party,  that  carried  him» 

worn  and  weary,  to  his  destination. 

After  toiling  for  two  years  among  the   Hurons, 

living   daily  a  sort  of  martyrdom  in  the  midst  of 

savage    ignorance,    vile    odors,    smoke,    fleas,  cold, 

hunger,    anxiety,    and    cou'^^'     s    dangers.    Father 

Daniel  was  ordered  to  descei      f     Quebec  in  charge 

of  some  Indian  boys  who  were  sent  to  a  school  in 

the  capital  of  the  colony  tor  ii  tru  .  <  n.'  He  was 
the  first  to  jump   ashore  at  the  ciid  of  the  long 

journey.  "  At  the  sight  of  him,"  writes  the  Superior, 
Father  Le  Jeune,  **  our  heart  was  moved.  The  good 
Father's  face  was  full  of  joy  and  gayety,  but  all 
wasted  away.  His  feet  were  bare,  an  oar  was  in  his 
hand,  his  person  was  covered  by  a  worn-out  cassock, 
his  Breviary  hung  from  his  neck,  and  the  shirt  on 
his  back  was  ready  to  fall  in  pieces." 

Father  Daniel  after  a  time  returned  to  the  savage 
scene  of  his  labors,  and  over  a  dozen  years  more 
were  passed  in  the  stony  field  of  the  Huron  mission. 
A  great  change,  however,  had  lately  taken  place 
The  number  of  Jesuits  had  increased,  and  their  con- 
verts came  to  be  counted  by  thousands.  But  a  dark 
war-cloud  was  gathering  over  the  ill-fated  Hurons 

•  It  was  exceedingly  difficult  to  keep  Indian  boys  at  school  in  their  own 
country  ;  and  the  Jesuit  Fathers  attempted  to  give  stability  to  their  labors  by 
founding  a  school  at  Quebec  for  the  training  of  these  wild  sons  oi  the  forest. 


Ant/iony  Daniel,  S.  J. 


219 


and  the  nation  was  destined  to  perish  in  its  shaduw. 

The  fortified  town  of  St.  Joseph'  was  situated  on 
the  southeastern  frontier  of  the  Huron  country,  and 
was  thus  doubly  exposed  to  an  attack  from  the  ever- 
dreaded  enemy — the  Iroquois.  It  contained  about 
two  thousand  inhabitants.  Father  Daniel  had  been 
stationed  here  for  four  years,  and  had  made  many 
conquests  to  the  True  Faith. 

It  was  the  4th  of  July,  1648.  The  sun  arose,  and 
its  early  beams  glanced  over  the  tops  of  giant  trees, 
and  along  the  roofs  of  the  bark  cabins.  The  warriors 
of  St.  Joseph  were  nearly  all  absent  hunting,  or  on  a 
trading  expedition.  Father  Daniel  had  just  finished 
Mass,  and  the  chapel  was  still  filled  to  the  door 
with  dusky  but  devout  worshippers.  In  a  moment 
an  awful  cry  arose.  "The  Iroquois!  the  Iroquois!" 
was  wildly  shouted  from  mouth  to  mouth,  as  a  band 
of  swift-footed  warriors  suddenly  dashed  on  like 
demons  towards  the  opening  in  the  palisade." 

The  brave  priest  at  once  flew  to  the  point  of 
danger.  He  rallied  such  of  his  terror-stricken  flock 
as  could  make  a  defence,  and  encouraged  them  to 
battle  like  Christian  heroes  for  their  homes  and 
kindred.  Then,  hurrying  from  cabin  to  cabin,  he 
called  on  the  unbelievers  to  repent  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  and  be  baptized.  His  burning  words  gath- 
ered around  him  such  multitudes  in  quest  of  bap- 


>  The  Indian  name  of  St.  Joseph  was  Teanaustay^. 
a  The  pahsade  was  a  strong,  high  fence  enclosing  the  town, 
means  of  defence. 


It  served  as  a 


•>    i'. 


220 


T/ic  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


I'. 


;fl|t 


tism,  that  he  was  obliged  to  steep  his  handkerchief 
in  water,  and  administer  the  sacrament  by  aspersion. 
"  Brothers !"  he  exclaimed,  "  to-day  we  shall  be  in 
Heaven." 

The  Huron  warriors,  few  in  number,  were  soon 
overpowered.  A  fierce  yell  announced  that  the 
Iroquois  had  entered  the  town,  and  that  the  hour 
for  hope  and  mercy  in  this  world  had  passed  forever- 
Father  Daniel  was  entreated  to  save  himself.  But 
no — so  long  as  he  could  baptize  or  hear  a  confession* 
he  would  die  at  the  post  of  duty. 

"Fly,  my  brothers!"  exclaimed  the  fearless 
Jesuit  to  his  flock.  "  My  life  is  nothing.  Be  stead- 
fast in  the  Faith.  I  will  stay  here.  We  shall  meet 
again  in  Heaven."  He  then  pronounced  a  general 
absolution,  and  from  the  rear  of  the  chapel  once 
more  urged  his  people  to  save  themselves  by  flight. 
Many  escaped.  The  priest  then  walked  to  the 
main  door  and  closed  it  behind  him. 

The  Iroquois  were  at  hand.  When  the  savages 
saw  him,  says  Parkman,  "radiant  in  the  vestments 
of  his  oflfice,  confronting  them  with  a  look  kindled 
with  the  inspiration  of  martyrdom,  they  stopped  and 
stared  in  amazement ;  then  recovering  themselves, 
bent  their  bows,  and  showered  him  with  a  volley  of 
arrows,  that  tore  through  his  robes  and  his  flesh. 
A  gunshot  followed ;  the  ball  pierced  his  heart,  and 
he  fell  dead,  gasping  the  name  of  Jesus.  They 
rushed   upon  him  with  yells  of  triumph,  stripped 


Anthony  Daniel,  S.  J, 


221 


him  naked,  gashed  and  hacked  his  lifeless  body,  and, 
scooping  his  blood  in  their  hands,  bathed  their 
faces  in  it  to  make  them  brave.  The  town  was  in  a 
blaze  ;  when  the  flames  reached  the  church,  they 
flung  the  priest  into  it,  and  both  were  consumed 
together." 

And  thus  died,  in  the  forty-eighth  year  of  his  age, 
Father  Anthony  Daniel,  a  man  of  fearless  heart,  great 
patience,  and  incomparable  meekness.  The  wilder- 
ness gave  him  a  grave,  and  the  Huron  nation  were 
his  mourners.  "It  was  not  for  himself,"  the  poor 
Indians  exclaimed,  "but  for  us  that  the  good 
Aro7iioin^  exposed  his  life  and  died.  The  Faith 
which  is  capable  of  inspiring  such  sacrifices  must, 
indeed,  be  a  holy  Faith." 

The  invincible  zeal  of  this  heroic  priest  had 
merited  to  obtain  the  rare  gift  of  gaining  the  wild 
children  of  the  woods  to  Christ ;  and  when  he 
perished  at  the  hands  of  heathen  murderers,  his 
beautiful  soul  had  not  yet  ceased  to  glow  with  the 
fire  of  lofty  meditations — made  in  spiritual  retreat 
but  three  days  before  at  the  headquarters  of  the 
mission.  It  is  said  that  even  after  death,  he  took  a 
visible  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  scattered  flock 
and  beloved  companions.  At  a  council  of  the 
Fathers,  Chaumonot  saw  him  "  seated  in  their 
midst  as  of  old,  with  a  countenance  radiant  and 
majestic."     On   another  occasion,  he  appeared   to 

>  Father  Daniel's  ladian  name. 


222 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


the  same  Father,  who  asked  what  he  should  do  to 
please  God  most."  **  Never  fail,"  said  the  martyr, 
"  to  remember  your  sins." 


^  i 


■ii-ii, !? 


JOHN  DE  BREREUF,  S.  J., 

THE  APOSTLE  OF  THE  HUKONS. 

Died  A.  D.  1649. 

IF  some  adventurous  traveller,  late  in  the  summer 
of  1626 — over  two  centuries  and  a  half  ago — had 
stood  amid  the  unbroken  wilderness  on  the  site  of 
the  city  of  Ottawa,  the  present  capital  of  Canada, 
near  the  Chaudiere  Falls,  whose  ceaseless  roar  was 
echoed  for  miles  around,  he  would  have  seen, 
through  the  trees,  a  party  of  Huron  warriors  on  the 
long,  rugged  highway  that  led  to  their  own  country, 
in  the  act  of  carrying  their  canoes  overthe  portage. 
The  eye  of  the  traveller  would  be  caught  by  the 
cassocks  of  three  priests — a  strange  sight  at  that 
wild,  picturesque  spot,  and  in  such  company.  But 
so  it  was.  One  of  them  was  conspicuous  by  his 
powerful  frame  and  tall,  commanding  figure  ;  and 
this  was  Father  John  de  Br^beuf.  His  biography 
is  not,  indeed,  found  in  Butler's  Lives  of  t lie  Saints, 
but  we  search  in  vain  through  that  excellent  work 
for  anything  to   surpass  it  in  sublime  interest.     In 


John  Dc  Bn'bcuf,  5.  J. 


223 


his  iron  vigor  of  constitution  and  supernatural  gifts, 
he  resembled  St.  ColuirSkillc  ;  while  his  lion-heart 
and  martyr-spirit  would  liave  done  honor  to  St. 
Lawrence.  He  was  the  prince  of  Indian  mission- 
aries— the  greatest  of  the  Americar.  Jesuits. 

John  de  Brc'beuf  was  born  in  France,  on  the  25th 
of  March,  1593.  He  belonged  to  an  ancient  and 
noble  house  that  gave  Normandy  many  a  brave 
soldier  and  fearless  knight.  In  his  twentyfifth 
year  the  gifted  young  man  entered  the  Society 
of  Jesus ;  and  such  was  his  humility  that  he  re- 
quested to  be  admitted  as  a  simple  lay  brother. 
One  of  the  pioneer  band  of  Jesuits  sent  to  Canada, 
he  landed  beneath  the  bold  cliffs  of  Quebec  in 
1625.  The  winter  of  that  and  the  following  year 
he  spent  as  a  kind  of  apprenticeship,  wandering  in 
the  neighboring  woods  and  mountains  among  the 
savages.  It  was  a  rude  school.  Fatigue,  disgust, 
hunger,  thirst,  and  intense  cold  are  but  tame  ex- 
pressions  when  applied  to  what  he  endured. 

In  1626,  accompanied  by  another  Jesuit,  a  Fran- 
ciscan Father,  and  a  band  of  Indians,  Father  de 
Br^beuf  passed  over  the  long  and  perilous  route 
that  led  to  the  Huron  country.  It  was  a  journey 
of  nearly  one  thousand  miles. 

Here,  as  I  have  already  related,  a  mission  had 
been  commenced  about  ten  years  previously  by 
Father  Le  Caron,  O.  S.  F.,  who  was  now  at  Quebec. 
The  conversion  of  the  Hurons,  however,  made  little 


224 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


progress.  It  was  such  up  hill,  fruitless  labor  that 
his  colleagues  soon  retired,  and  the  fearless  Father 
de  Brcbeuf  was  left  alone.  He  was  hundreds  of 
miles  from  a  fellow-Christian,  but  he  toiled  on  as 
pen  cannot  picture.  Living  amongst  the  Indians, 
he  became  one  of  them  by  adoption.  He  received 
the  name  of  Echon.  In  short,  he  made  himself  all 
to  all,  that  he  might  gain  all  to  Christ.  The 
good  effect  of  his  untiring  toil  and  instruction  had 
begun  to  tell  on  the  multitude  of  wild  men,  when  an 
unhappy  event  occurred.  England  obtained  tem- 
porary possession  of  Canada. 

The  missionary  received  orders  to  return  to  Que- 
bec. On  learning  that  he  was  about  to  depart,  the 
Indians  crowded  around  his  person,  and  exclaimed 
in  touching  accents :  "  O  Echon,  are  you  going  to 
forsake  us !  For  two  years  you  have  lived  among  us 
to  learn  our  language,  and  to  teach  us  to  know  the 
Master  of  life.  You  now  speak  like  one  of  ourselves, 
but  as  yet  we  know  not  how  to  adore  and  pray  to 
God  like  you — and  you  leave  us!" 

The  heart  of  the  great  Jesuit  was  full,  and  he 
could  scarcely  restrain  his  tears;  but  in  obedience 
to  duty  he  tore  himself  from  his  kind,  dusky  flock, 
blessed  them,  bade  them  hope  for  his  return,  and 
waving  an  affectionate  adieu,  he  set  out  on  the  long, 
pathless  route  that  led  to  the  little  rock-built  capital 
of  Canada.  Father  de  Brcbeuf  and  his  colleagues 
were  made  prisoners  by  the  English,  and  shipped  t^ 


John  Dc  Bn^bcuf,  S.  J. 


22$ 


Frpnce.     Here  he  lived  among  his  religious  biethren 
witli  the  simplicity  of  a  iittle  child.     The  thorny 

ay  of  the  Indian  missions  had  but  advanced  him 
on  the  royal  road  of  the  Cross. 

In  a  few  years,  France  regained  possession  of 
Canada,  and  the  cassock  of  the  Jesuit  might  once 
more  be  seen  on  the  rude  streets  of  Quebec.  Thr 
Apostle  of  the  Hurons  was  again  on  the  banks  of 
the  St.  Lawrence.  In  July,  1633,  one  hundred  and 
forty  canoes  were  pulled  ashore  at  the  warehouses 
of  Quebec.  Over  six  hundred  Huron  warriors  and 
chiefs  had  come  on  their  annual  trading  expc  iition. 
After  some  preliminary  arrangements,  a  council  was 
eld  in  the  fort.  French  ofificers,  Jesuit  Fathers, 
eind  Indian  chiefs  formed  this  singular  assembly. 
Its  object  was  to  come  to  an  understanding  with  the 
savages  in  regard  to  sending  three  priests  amoni; 
them.  To  Fathers  de  Brebeuf,  Daniel,  and  Davosi 
had  fallen  the  honors,  dangers,  and  woes  of  tho 
Huron  mission. 

Champlain  introduced  the  three  to  the  dusky  chiefs 
and  warriors.  ^*  These  are  our  Fathers,"  said  the 
noble  founder  of  Canada.  **  We  love  them  more 
than  we  love  ourselves.  The  whole  French  nation 
honors  them.  They  do  not  go  among  you  for  your 
furs.  They  have  left  their  friends  and  their  country 
to  show  you  the  way  to  Heaven.  If  you  love  the 
French — as  you  sav  vou  love  them — then  love  and 
honor  these  our  Fathers."     But  just  on  the  eve  of 


ml 


226 


T/ic  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


luJ'; 


departure  an  unfortunate  occurrence  prevented  the 
missionaries  from  proceeding  on  their  toilsome 
journey.  *  s 

Another  year  rolled  by  before  the  fleet  of  canoes 
came  down  the  lordly  stream.  This  time  the  dusky 
traders  la»^  ed  at  Three  Rivers;  and  on  their  return 
trip  Fathei  de  Brebeuf  and  his  two  brother  mission- 
aries  set  out  with  them.  Well  he  knew  the  long  and 
difficult  route.  The  canoes  skimmed  along  the  St. 
Lawrence  to  the  Ottawa,  then  up  the  Ottawa  to  the 
Mattawan,  across  Lake  Nipissing,  down  the  French 
River,  and  along  the  shores  of  the  great  Georgian 
Bay  of  Lake  Huron. 

The  priests  had  to  paddle  all  the  time.  No 
shoes  were  worn  in  the  frail  bark  vessels.  The 
toil  was  extreme,  and  the  only  food  was  a  daily 
pittance  of  Indian  corn.  For  nine  hundred  miles 
not  a  house  or  a  white  countenance  was  seen.  The 
canoes  and  baggage  had  to  be  carried  for  miles  over 
scores  of  portages.  In  wading  up  raging  currents, 
the  tender,  bare  feet  of  the  apostolic  travellers  were 
cut  by  the  sharp  stones.  Night  alone  brought  any 
repose.  Father  de  Brebeuf  "  complains  that  he  had 
no  moment  to  read  his  Breviary,  except  by  the  moon- 
light or  the  fire,  when  stretched  out  to  sleep  on  a 
bare  rock  by  some  savage  cataract  of  the  Ottawa,  or 
in  a  damp  nook  of  the  adjacent  forest." 

The  great  missionary  and  his  Huron  con. pinions, 
after  thirty  days'  ceaseless  toil,  at  last  pulled  theii 


JjJin  De  BribcH/,  S.  J,  227 

canoes  ashore,  on  a  little  peninsula  which  is  bathed 
by  the  southern  waters  of  Georgian  Bay.  The 
savages  were  in  bad  humor,  and  so  uncivil  as  to 
throw  the  priest's  baggage  on  the  ground,  and  leave 
him  to  his  own  resources.  The  villages  were  about 
twenty  miles  away.  He  knelt,  thanked  God,  and 
shouldering  his  heavy  burden,  boldly  pushed  on 
alone.  After  penetrating  many  a  league  of  gloomy 
forest,  he  at  length  entered  a  wild  clearing,  and  saw 
before  him  the  bark  roofs  of  a  Huron  village.  It 
was  Ihonatiria. 

A  crowd  ran  out  to  meet  him.  He  was  known  at 
once.  *•  Echon  has  come  again  !"  *'  Echon  has  come 
again,"  they  exclaimed,  and  gathered  around  their 
old  teacher.  The  stately  Jesuit  was  led  to  one  of 
the  chief  wigwams,  and  treated  with  true  Indian 
hospitality.  After  weeks  of  waiting,  Fatheis  Daniel 
and  Davost  arrived.  They  could  scarcely  be  re- 
cognized. Half-dead  with  hunger  and  fatigue,  the 
two  priests  resembled  living  skeletons  more  than 
men.  Father  Br^bcuf  and  his  fellow-missionaries 
had  now  reached  their  destination. 

The  ancient  country  of  the  Hurons  comprised 
the  eastern  and  notheastern  portion  of  Simcoe 
County,  situated  south  of  Georgfan  Bay,  Ontario 
Canada.  The  whole  nation  ac  that  time  counted 
thirty-two  villages,  with  a  population  of  about 
2o,ODO.  On  the  west  and  southwest  of  the  Hurons 
proper  lay  the  kindred  tribe  of  the  Tobacco  Nation, 


2J8 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  America. 


so  called  from  their  luxuriant  fields  of  tobacco. 
South  of  both  of  these,  from  Lake  St.  Clair  to 
Niagara,  was  the  Neutral  Nation,  which  obtained  its 
name  from  the  neutrality  observed  by  its  people  in 
the  lon^  and  deadly  struggle  between  the  Hurons 
and  Iroquois.  Such  were  the  political  divisions  of 
Western  Canada  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 

After  the  Huron  model,  a  house  for  the  black- 
robes  was  erected.  Hundreds  of  Indians  joined  in 
the  work,  and  in  a  few  days  the  bark  mansion  rose, 
a  completed  structure.  Its  divisions  were  a  store- 
house, dwelling-house,  and  chapel.  The  furniture, 
scanty  as  it  was,  soon  became  the  wonder  of  the 
whole  Huron  country.  Visitors  were  in  abundance. 
It  was  the  clock,  above  all,  that  puzzled  and  pleased 
the  curious  savages.  For  hours  they  would  sit  in 
expectant  silence,  squatting  on  the  ground,  waiting 
to  hear  it  strike.  They  thought  it  was  alive,  and 
asked  what  nourishment  it  tooV.  The  magnifying- 
glass,  which  transformed  a  flea  into  a  monster,  was 
also  viewed  with  mingled  awe  and  admiration. 
I  Father  de  Brcbeuf,  as  Superior  of  the  mission, 
I  with  Fathers  Daniel  and  Davost,  now  began  their 
labors.  How  they  lived  and  divided  their  time 
between  toil,  study,  and  devotion  are  points  that 
have  been  already  noticed  in  the  life  of  Father 
Jogues.  The  Gospel  was  announced  to  all,  but  the 
work  of  conversion  was  long  and  difficult.  In  fact, 
during  the  first  few  years  no  adults  were  baptized, 


John  De  Br^beuf,  S.  J. 


229 


save  those  at  the  point  of  death.  The  experienced 
De  Br^beuf  knew  Indian  nature  well,  and  he  greatly 
feared  backsliding.  Hence  his  caution.  In  his 
eyes  one  good  Christian  wa.^  better  than  a  multitude 
of  bad  ones.  Besides,  all  the  savage  vices — and  the 
I^urons  were  corrupt  to  the  core' — had  to  be  eradi- 
cated before  the  Catholic  Religion  could  be  planted. 
The  Herculean  toil  of  battling  against  depravity, 
hatred,  and  open  persecution,  and  of  seeing  that 
neither  young  nor  old  died  without  spiritual  aid — 
such  was  the  unceasing  task  of  the  Jesuits.  They 
were  frequently  threatened  with  death.  Small-pox 
also  ravaged  the  nation ;  and  in  the  wild  scenes  of 
misery  that  followed,  no  words  can  picture  the 
heroic  toils  of  Father  de  Br^beuf. 

Nor  was  his  fight  against  disease  and  human 
wickedness  only.  In  every  possible  way  the  powers 
of  darkness  assailed  the  great  priest.  Demons  in 
troops  appeared  before  him,  sometimes  in  the  guise 
of  men,  sometimes  as  bears,  wolves,  or  wildcats. 
He  called  on  God,  and  they  vanished.  Death,  like 
a  skeleton,  sometimes  menaced  him;  and  once,  as 
he  faced  it  with  an  unquailing  eye,  it  fell  powerless 
at  his  feet.  Angels  also  appeared  to  hirn  ;  and  more 
than  once  St.  Joseph  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  were 
visibly  present  to  his  sight.  Thus  consoled  and 
strengthened  from  above,  in  vain  did  accidents, 
enraged  savages,  and  troops  of  devils  war  against  him 

'  See  tbe  Introduction  10  Parkman's  yetuits  in  North  America. 


230 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


"Go  and  leave  our  country,"  exclaimed  an  old 
chief,  "  or  we  will  put  you  into  the  kettle  and  make 
a  feast  of  you  !" 

The  heroic  Jesuit  on  one  occasion  was  paralyzed 
by  a  fall  which  broke  his  collar-bone.  Creeping  on 
his  hands  and  feet  along  the  frozen  road,  he  was 
obliged  to  sleep  unsheltered  in  the  snow,  when  the 
very  trees  were  splitting  with  cold  ! 

But  God,  at  length,  blessed  the  toils  and  sufTer. 
ings  of  His  fearless  Apostle.  The  stony  hearts 
of  the  Indians  were  touched.  Thousands  came  into 
the  Church.  Ferocious  savages  became  model  Chris- 
tians. Almost  the  whole  Huron  nation  embraced 
the  Ancient  Faith,  and  Religion  flourished  among 
the  children  of  the  forest  in  the  snow-clad  wilderness 
of  the  North.  The  cross  towered  above  every 
village.  In  March,  1649,  there  were  in  the  Huron 
country  eighteen  Jesuit  Fathers. 

Some  time  previously.  Father  de  Br^beuf  saw  an 
immense  cross  in  the  air.  It  stretched  from  the 
land  of  the  Iroquois,  even  to  where  he  stood.  This 
ominous  vision  found  its  interpretation  in  his  glori- 
ous death. 

At  the  dawn  of  day,  on  the  i6th  of  March,  1649, 
a  force  of  over  one  thousand  Iroquois  warriors  ap- 
peared before  the  village  of  St.  Louis,  in  which 
were  stationed  the  Apostle  of  the  Hurons  and 
Father  Lalemant.  About  eighty  brave  Catholic 
Hurons  prepared  to  defen'^  the  place.     The  war- 


John  De  Br/beuf,  5.  % 


231 


whoop    of   the   hostile    savages    shook    the    very 
wigwams. 

In  the  very  hottest  of  the  contest,  however,  were 
the  holy  and  dauntless  De  Brebeuf  and  his  gentle 
companion,  the  one  in  the  breach  giving  absolution, 
the  other  baptizing  the  catechumens.  The  fierce 
but  unequal  struggle  soon  terminated.  A  yell  of 
triumph  announced  the  victory  of  the  Iroquois. 
The  two  Fathers  were  made  prisoners,  stripped  of 
their  clothing,  had  their  nails  torn  out  by  the  roots, 
and  were  borne  in  wild  triumph  to  the  village  of 
St.  Ignatius,  which  had  also  been  taken  that  morning. 

Here  they  were  frightfully  beaten  with  clubs. 
But  the  noble  De  Brebeuf  thought  only  of  others, 
iiis  eye  kindling  with  sacred  fire,  he  thus  addressed 
the  Christian  Huronswho  were  his  fellow-captives: 
•'  My  children,  let  us  lift  up  our  eyes  to  Heaven  in 
the  midst  of  our  sufferings.  God  is  a  witness  of 
our  torments.  He  will  soon  be  our  reward.  Die 
in  this  faith.  I  feel  more  for  you  than  for  myself." 
" Echorif"  they  replied,  "our  hopes  shall  be  in 
Heaven.     Pray  for  us." 

Enraged  at  those  words  of  the  heroic  Jesuit,  the 
fiendish  Iroquois  led  him  apart,  tied  him  to  a  stake, 
scorched  him  from  head  to  foot  to  silence  him  ; 
whereupon,  in  the  tone  of  a  master,  he  threatened 
them  with  everlasting  flames  for  persecuting  the 
worshippers  of  God.  As  he  continued  to  speak 
with  voice  and   countenance  unchanged,  they  cut 


I 


232 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


away  his  lower  lip  and  thrust  a  red  hot  iron  into 
his  mouth.  The  sublime  man  still  held  his  lofty 
form  erect  and  defiant,  with  no  sign  or  sound  of 
pain.  Maddened  at  their  own  impotence,  the 
savages  next  hung  around  his  neck  a  collar  made  of 
hatchets  heated  red-hot,  but  the  indomitable  priest, 
sustained  by  grace,  stood  it  like  a  rock.  Boiling 
water  was  now  poured  on  his  head,  but  he  did  not 
flinch  ;  and  exasperated  beyond  bounds,  they  cut 
strips  of  flesh  from  his  limbs,  and  devoured  them 
before  his  very  eyes.  After  a  succession  of  other 
revolting  tortures,  they  scalped  him  ;  and  on  seeing 
him  nearly  dead,  they  laid  open  his  breast,  and 
came  in  a  cfowd  to  drink  the  blood  of  so  valiant  an 
enemy,  thinking  to  imbibe  with  it  some  portion  pf 
his  marvellous  courage.  A  chief  then  tore  out  his 
heart  and  devoured  it.' 

And  thus  died  the  glorious  John  de  Brebeuf,  the 
Apostle  of  the  Hurons  and  the  most  renowned  of 
American  martyrs.  The  Catholic  Religion  alone 
can  produce  such  a  man.  Even  his  savage  murderers 
wondered  at  his  virtue  and  heroism.  But  his  whole 
life  prepared  him  for  such  a  sublime  death. 

"  When  he  was  made  Superior  of  the  Huron  mis- 
sion," wrote  one  of  his  companions,  "and  had  many 
others  under  his  charge,  every  one  admired  his  skill 
in  the  management  of  affairs,  his  sweetness,  which 
gained  all  hearts,  his  heroic  courage  in  every  under- 

'  Parkman. 


li 


John  De  Bribeuf,  S.  J. 


233 


taking,  his  long-suffering  in  awaiting  the  moments  of 
God's  good  pleasure,  his  patience  in  enduring  every- 
thing, and  his  zeal  in  undertaking  whatever  might 
promote  God's  glory.  His  humility  inclined  him  to 
embrace  with  love,  with  joy,  and  even  with  natural 
relish,  whatever  was  most  lowly  and  painful.  If  on 
a  journey  he  carried  the  heaviest  burdens,  if  travel- 
ling in  canoes  he  paddled  from  morning  till  night,  it 
was  he  who  threw  himself  first  into  the  water  and 
was  the  last  to  leave  it,  notwithstanding  the  rigor  of 
the  cold  and  the  ice.  He  was  the  first  up  in  the 
morning  to  make  a  fire  and  prepare  breakfast,  and 
he  was  the  last  to  retire,  finishing  his  prayers  and 
devotions  after  the  others  had  gone  to  repose.  What 
is  most  remarkable  is,  that  in  all  the  labors  he  thus 
took  upon  himself,  he  did  everything  so  quietly  and 
dexterously  that  one  would  have  believed  that  he 
had  but  acted  in  accordance  with  his  natural  inclina- 
tion. '  I  am  but  an  ox,'  he  was  wont  to  say, 
alluding  to  the  meaning  of  his  name  in  French.  '  I 
am  fit  for  nothing  but  carrrying  burdens.' 


/ »» 1 


'  Ragueneau. — The  head  of  Father  de  Brdbeuf,  in  a  silver  shrine,  is  preserved 
at  Quebec.  Several  miracles  have  been  wrought  by  his  holy  intercession. 
Father  I.allement,  too,  met  his  end  like  a  Christian  hero.  He  lived  in  torture  till 
the  next  day  ;  and  "  when  the  sun  had  arisen  on  the  17th  of  March,  they  closed 
his  long  martyrdom  by  tomabawkiag  bim,and  left  bis  body  a  biackand  mangled 
mass." 


IT  '■  ' 


! 


234 


ne  Catholic  Pioneers  0/ A 


mertca. 


ANDREW  WHITE,  S.  J 

^''^  APOSTLE  OF MAliVi^^:,^^ 
I^ied  A.  D.  itt^-j 

|NE  of  the  immortal  pioneers  of  the  CafhM- 
Religion  in  America  was  the  hr,        ^"'>°''c 

,        ,      Father  Andrew  Whrteu"''^"'"' 
London  in  1C70      ti,  '""«.     He    was    born  at 

-.  the  fou'n?of  I  Lt^e  H?  ^''  '^^^  ^ 
was  a  shameful  period      r.,l  '^'S"  '^nd.     It 

'»  Great  Britain^nd  ireland      "/T'^  "^--"'"-d 
forbidden  to  teach      A  '  ""''  ""  Catholics  were 

offered  for  the  d^ovtroT^'  °J  '."'  """^^  -- 
master.  ""^  °'  ^^ch  Catholic  school- 

wh^l^'blt  Sistd  frir o  '  ^r"""^  P-f™ 
of  the  famous  Ca^l  ITle^-a',  7"f.  "P^-''^ 
was  established  in  ,;68   it  n"  .^"S'"''  ~"ege 

nearly  two  centuries  ind  T  I,  ^f?  ^'  '"  ^™""-  For 
of  the  British  irs^'c  e'd^'^l^ ^^''oiic students 

"owned  institution.  There  th^fl  ^^  '°  ""'^  '«• 
nourished  and  the  hVht  of T  ,  J""^  "'  f"''"'  was 
when  all  was  bigot  fa„dr°""'^^  "^^P'  •'"^"'"g 

once  Catholic  land  of'ESa'd'rh'^''""^  '"  "•' 

ngiand-the  home  of  the  holy 


Andreiv  White,  S.  % 


235 


cs 


Bede,  the  great  Alfred,  and  the  dauntless  Cceur  de 
Lion.  There  were  trained  those  bands  of  devoted 
priests  who  laid  down  their  lives  in  laboring  to  restore 
the  true  faith  among  their  unhappy  countrymen. 
There  our  Catholic  Bible  was  translated  into  English. 
There  the  pious  and  learned  Alban  Butler,  author 
of  the  Lives  of  the  Saints,  received  his  education. 
And  there  likewise  the  future  Apostle  of  Maryland 
earnestly  labored  and  studied  to  prepare  himself  for 
his  high  and  holy  calling. 

Father  White  was  elevated  to  the  sacred  dignity 
of  the  priesthood  about  the  year  1605,  and  was  at 
once  sent  to  labor  on  the  London  mission.  But  as.the 
penal  laws  were  rigidly  enforced,  he  had  to  temper 
his  zeal  with  the  greatest  prudence.  Nor  did  this 
suffice.  In  spite  of  all  precautions  he  was  discovered. 
Rewards,  varying  according  to  the  rank  of  the 
victim,  were  offered  for  the  discovery  of  Catholic 
ecclesiastics.  At  one  period,  the  same  price  was 
offered  for  the  head  of  a  priest,  and  that  of  a  wolf. 
Even  Jews  came  from  Portugal  to  hunt  down 
Catholic  priests  in  the  British  Isles,  and  found  it  a 
profitable  business.  Bribes  were  offered  to  all  who 
would  betray  Catholics. 

"  They  bribed  the  flock,  they  bribed  the  son, 
To  sell  the  priest  and  rob  the  sire; 
Their  dogs  were  taught  alike  to  run 
Upon  the  scent  of  wolf  and  friar." 

In  short,  the  fierce   Mohawk,  ranging  the  ancient 


236 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


forests  of  New  York,  was  not  more  eager  and  skil- 
ful on  the  trail  of  an  enemy,  than  was  the  fanatical 
and  barbarous  Government  of  England  in  its  search 
after  Catholic  priests.  And  the  humanity  of  the 
American  Indian  compares  quite  favorably  with  that 
of  the  Protestant  Briton.  The  very  year  that 
Father  White  returned  to  England,  the  saintly  poet 
and  Jesuit,  Southwell,  was  brutally  tortured  on  the 
rack,  ten  different  timeSy  and  finally  executed  with 
the  most  revolting  cruelties.  And  all  because — he 
was  a  Catholic  priest ! 

We  find  the  name  of  Father  White  in  a  list  of 
forty-seven  priests,  who,  from  different  prisons,  in 
1606,  were  sentenced  to  perpetual  banishment.  He 
reached  the  Continent.  He  had  hitherto  been  a 
secular  priest,  but  now  sought  admission  into  the 
Society  of  Jesus  ;  and  after  passing  his  novitiate  of 
two  years  at  Louvain,  he  obtained  permission  to 
return  to  his  native  land — although  he  was  well 
aware  that  for  the  banished  Catholic  priest  who  re- 
turned to  England  the  penalty  was  death. 

It  was  a  perilous  mission,  and  the  brave  Jesuit 
was  soon  recalled,  and  appointed  professor  in  a 
college  of  the  Society  at  Seville.  Father  White 
was  a  ripe  and  finished  scholar,  and  at  various 
periods  filled  the  chairs  of  Holy  Scripture,  Hebrew, 
and  Theology  in  Spain  and  Belgium.  But  he  was 
now  to  pass  from  the  halls  of  science  to  the  wild 
woods  of  the  New  World. 


Andrew  White,  S.  J. 


23; 


During  a  visit  to  England,  F'ather  White  had 
made  the  acquaintance  of  Lord  Baltimore,  who  was 
then  maturing  his  design  of  founding  a  Catholic 
colony  in  Maryland.  The  nobleman  wished  to  place 
it  under  his  spiritual  care,  and  the  Society  of  Jesus 
seconded  his  desires.  Father  White  was  appointed 
Superior,  and  with  him  were  associated  Father  John 
Altham  and  two  lay  Brothers.  The  missionaries 
sailed  in  the  expedition  commanded  by  Governor 
Leonard  Calvert,  and  reached  the  shores  of  Marv- 
land  in  the  spring  of  1634. 

On  the  25th  of  March,  the  Feast  of  the  Annuncia- 
tion of  the  Most  Holy  Virgin,  Father  White  cele- 
brated, on  St.  Clement's  Lsland,  the  first  Mass  ever 
offered  up  in  that  region,  and  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  sacrifice  a  large  cross  was  erected.  It  was  a  real 
"cross  in  the  wilderness."  The  Catholic  Religion 
had  come  to  stay  in  Maryland. 

The  savages  gathered  around.  *'  It  is  pleasant," 
writes  Father  White,  ''  to  hear  these  natives  ad- 
miring everything,  especially  wondering  where  in 
the  world  a  tree  had  grown  large  enough  to  be 
carved  into  a  ship  of  such  huge  size  ;  for  they  sup- 
posed it  had  been  cut  icom  a  single  trunk  of  a  tree, 
like  an  Indian  canoe.  Our  cannon  filled  them  with 
astonishment." 

For  ten  years  this  devoted  priest  labored  with  the 
zeal  of  an  apostle,  dividing  his  time  between  the 
colonists  and  the  Indians,  and  truly  making  himself 


238 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


all  to  all  that  lie  might  gain  all  to  Jesus  Christ.  The 
missionaries  were  invited  to  sit  in  the  first  Colonial 
Assembly,  but  earnestly  desiring  to  be  excused  from 
taking  part  in  secular  concerns,  their  request  was 
granted. 

Though  nearly  sixty  years  of  age.  Father  White 
cheerfully  began  the  tedious  and  difficult  task  of 
mastering  the  Indian  languages ;  and  then  devoted 
himself  to  labor  for  the  conversion  of  the  Patuxents 
and  Pascatoways.'  The  rivers  often  served  as  high- 
ways for  the  minister  of  God  on  his  errand  of  peace 
and  mercy.  When  this  was  the  case,  the  daily  life 
of  joyful  toil  is  this  recounted  by  the  Apostle  of 
Maryland  himself: 

"  We  sail  in  an  open  boat — the  Father,  an  inter- 
preter, and  a  servant.  In  a  calm,  or  with  a  head 
wind,  two  row,  and  a  third  steers  the  boat.  We 
carry  a  basket  of  bread,  cheese,  butter,  dried  roasted 
ears  of  corn,  beans,  and  some  meal,  and  a  chest  con- 
taining the  sacerdotal  vestments,  the  slab  or  altar 
-  for  Mass,  the  wine  used  in  the  holy  sacrifice,  and 
blessed  baptismal  water.  In  another  chest  we  carry 
knives,  combs,  little  bslls,  fishing-hooks,  needles, 
thread,  and  other  trifles,  for  presents  to  the  Indians. 
We  take  two  mats,  a  small  one  to  shelter  us  from 
the  sun,  and  a  larger  one  to  protect  us  from  the  rain 
"The  servant  carries  implements  for  hunting  and 

'  The  venerable  Jesuit— thorough,  hard-working  student  that  he  was  -com- 
posed a  catechism,  grammar,  and  dictionary  in  the  language  of  the  Maryland 
Indians. 


Andrew  W/titc,  S.  J. 


239 


cooking  utensils.  We  endeavor  to  reach  some  Indian 
village  or  Rnglish  plantation  by  nightfall.  If  we  do 
not  succeed,  then  the  Father  secures  the  boat  to 
the  bank,  collects  wood,  and  makes  a  fire,  while  the 
'other  two"  go  out  to  hunt ;  and  after  cooking  our 
game,  we  take  some  refreshment,  and  then  lie  down 
to  sleep  around  the  fire.  When  threatened  with 
rain,  we  erect  a  tent,  covering  it  with  our  large  mat. 
Thanks  be  to  God,  we  enjoy  our  scanty  fare  and 
hard  beds  as  much  as  if  we  were  accommodated  with 
the  luxuries  of  Europe." 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  Father  White's 
dusky  converts  was  Chilomacon,  chief  of  the  Pas- 
catoways.  This  lord  of  the  forest  lived  at  Kittama- 
quindi,  the  principal  village  of  the  tribe.  It  was 
situated  near  the  site  of  Washington.  Chilomacon 
received  the  venerable  Jesuit  with  extreme  kindness, 
and  made  him  reside  in  his  own  rude  residence. 

It  seems  that  a  remarkable  dream,  which  he  had 
some  time  previously,  was  the  cause  of  the  chief's 
kindness.  He  related,  that  in  his  sleep,  he  seemed 
to  see  Father  White  and  his  fellow  missionary,  while 
a  voice  whispered  in  his  ear:  "These  are  the  men 
whr  from  their  souls  love  you  and  all  your  tribe. 
Wiin  them  they  bring  those  blessings  by  which,  if 
you  desire,  you  can  be  happy !"  When  he  beheld 
the  Jesuits  he  recognized  them  in  a  moment  as  the 
strange  men  who  bore  the  rare  blessing  referred  to 
in  his  dream. 


240 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  A  merica. 


On  recovering  from  a  severe  illness,  Chilomacon 
asked  to  be  baptized.  But  the  missionary  told  him 
that  it  was  first  necessary  to  be  well  instructed  in  the 
doctrines  of  the  Catholic  Religion.  Never  was 
there  a  more  willing  pupil.  Father  White  daily 
instructed  the  chief  and  his  wife  and  family — all 
attentive  listeners. 

Chilomacon  was  equally  anxious  for  the  conver- 
sion of  his  whole  tribe.  Convinced  himself,  he 
wished  to  make  the  truth  known  to  others.  He 
assembled  his  warriors,  and  in  an  eloquent  appeal 
told  them  "that  cnildish  superstition  had  reigned 
too  long  in  the  wigwams  Of  the  Pascatoways.  There 
was  but  one  God  who  was  worthy  of  the  homage 
of  brave  nen.  He  was  the  Creator  of  all  things. 
He  was  the  Great  Spirit  worshipped  by  the  blaclv- 
gowns.  The  herbs  and  the  stones  adored  by  the 
Indians  were  but  the  humble  work  of  His  hands." 
To  show  his  contempt  for  their  former  idols,  he  took 
one  and  tossed  it  with  his  foot.  The  warriors  ap- 
plauded the  language  and  bold  action  of  their  chief, 
and  henceforth  Christianity  made  a  rapid  conquest 
of  this  trlhe. 

Chilomacon  accepted  Father  White's  invitation 
to  visit  the  towti  of  St.  Mary's,  and  was  delighted 
with  the  peace,  happiness,  and  prosperity  which 
he  there  beheld.  He  now  eagerly  begged  to  be 
baptized,  and  at  length  the  day  was  fixed.  The 
ceremony  took  place  on  the  5th  of  July,  1640,  at  his 


Andreiv  White,  S.  J, 


241 


rude  capital,  in  a  chapel  built  of  bark  for  tne  occa- 
sion. Governor  Leonard  Calvert,  his  secretary,  and 
many  of  the  principal  inhabitants  of  the  colony  were 
present.  Father  White  ofificiated.  Chilomacon,  his 
wife,  their  little  son,  and  many  of  the  chief  men  of  his 
council  were  solemnly  admitted  into  the  Catholic 
Church  by  the  regenerating  waters  of  baptism.  The 
chief  assumed  the  name  of  Charles  in  honor  of  the 
English  sovereign  and  his  wife  that  of  Mary.  The 
other  converts  also  received  Christian  names.  In 
the  afternoon  Charles  and  Marv  were  married  ac- 
cording  to  the  rites  of  the  Church.  A  cross  of  great 
size  was  then  borne  in  procession  by  the  chief, 
Governor  Calvert,  the  secretary,  and  others,  while 
two  priests  preceded  them,  chanting  the  Litany  of 
the  Most  Blessed  Virgin.  Having  reached  a  place 
prepared  for  its  reception,  the  sacred  emblem  was 
erected  with  imposing  ceremonies  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  important  events  which  had  just  taken 
place. 

Under  the  guidance  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  the 
spiritual  condition  of  the  colony  was  admirable.  A 
church  was  erected  in  the  town  of  St.  Mary's ;  and 
peace,  happiness,  and  religion  smiled  on  the  quiet 
s^iores  of  the  Chesapeake.  "  The  religious  exercises," 
says  one  of  the  Fathers,  writing  to  Rome,  "are  fol- 
lowed with  exactness,  and  the  Sacraments  are  well 
frequented.  By  spiritual  exercises  we  have  formed 
the  pnncipal  inhabitants  to  the  practice  of  piety, 


342 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


\\     41 


and  they  have  derived  signal  benefits  from  them. 
The  sick  and  dying,  whose  number  has  been  con- 
siderable this  year,  have  all  been  attended,  in  spite 
of  the  great  distance  of  their  dwellings,  so  that  not 
a  Catholic  died  without  having  received  the  benefits 
of  the  Sacraments."  Such  was  the  edifying  piety 
and  fervor  of  these  good  Catholic  settlers,  that  many 
of  the  Protestants,  touched  by  their  bright  example, 
gladly  embraced  the  faith  of  their  forefathers. 

But  a  cloud  had  arisen,  and  was  hanging  over  the 
peaceful  and  prosperous  colony.  In  1644,  the  insur. 
rection  of  Clayborne  and  his  fanatical  adherents 
passed  over  the  fair  Maryland  like  a  devastating 
hurricane.  Religion  and  its  altars  were  ruthlessly 
overthrown,  the  Catholic  inhabitants  plundered,  and 
their  rights  trampled  upon.  Even  the  venerable 
Father  White  and  his  unoffending  companions  were 
seized,  put  in  irons,  and  sent  to  England,  where  they 
had  to  undergo  a  long  and  painful  imprisonment. 

"  Thirsting  for  the  salvatton  of  his  dear  Mary- 
landers,"  writes  Oliver,  "he  sought  every  oppor- 
tunity of  returning  secretly  to  that  mission  .  but 
every  attempt  proving  ineffectual,  he  was  content  to 
devote  his  remaining  energies  to  the  advantage  of 
his  native  country.  In  his  old  age,  even  to  the  end, 
he  continued  his  custom  of  fasting  on  bread  and 
water  twice  a  week.  Whilst  a  prisoner  he  was  re- 
minded by  his  keeper  to  moderate  his  austerities, 
and  to  reserve  his  strength  for  his  appearance  at 


Adam  Dauiac, 


243 


Tyburn.  'You  must  know,  replied  Father  White, 
'that  my  fasting  gives  me  strength  to  bear  any  kind 
of  suffering  for  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  !*  This  truly 
great  and  good  man  died  peaceably  in  London,  on 
the  6th  of  January,  1657.  From  the  comparison  of 
various  documents,  I  believe  he  was  in  his  seventy- 
eighth  year  at  the  time  of  his  death." 


ADAM   DAULAC/ 

THE  HERO  OF  THE  LONG  SAUL7 
Died  A.  D.  1660. 

IT  was  less  than  half  a  centufy  after  Champlain 
had  fired  his  gun,  loaded  with  four  balls,  into 
the  ranks  of  a  band  of  bewildered  Iroquois  at  Crown 
Point,  that  those  wild  warriors,  made  more  terrible 
by  the  possession  of  fire-arms,  fell  upon  his  dusky 
allies,  and  crushed  them  to  the  eaitb.     The  Huron 
nation  was  drowned  in  blood.     The  Algonquins  were 
scattered   like  chaff.     A  few  thousands  of  Fieiich 
settlers,  living  along  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
had   now  to  bear  the  brunt  of  savage  vengeance. 
The  hounds  of  war  howled  in  the  wilderness.     The 
merciless  Iroquois  were  everywhere.     Canada  was  in 
a  state  of  terror. 


'  The  name  is  sometimes  written  Dollard 


244 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


There  was  no  safety  outside  the  fortified  posts  of 
Quebec,  Three  Rivers,  and  Montreal.  **  Every- 
where," writes  the  Superior  of  the  Jesuits  in  1660, 
"  we  see  infants  to  be  saved  for  Heaven,  sick  and 
dying  to  be  baptized,  adults  to  be  instructed — but 
everywhere  we  see  the  Iroquois.  They  haunt  us 
like  goblins.  They  kill  our  newly-made  Christians 
in  our  arms.  If  they  meet  us  on  the  river,  they  kill 
us.  If  they  find  us  in  the  huts  of  our  Indians,  they 
burn  us  and  them  together." 

In  May,  1660,  it  was  learned  from  an  Indian 
prisoner,  that  a  force  of  some  eight  hundt-ed  Iroquois 
warriors  was  below  Montreal,  and  that  they  awaited 
another  band  of  four  hundred  from  the  Ottawa 
River  to  start  on  the  war-path.  It  was  the  design 
of  the  combined  savage  forces  to  surprise  Quebec, 
scalp  its. inhabitants,  and  then  destroy  Three  Rivers 
and  Montreal.  How  was  the  execution  of  this 
murderous  design  prevented  ?  It  has  been  well  said, 
that  "as  one  small  point  of  steel  disarms  the  light 
ning  of  its  terrors,  so  did  the  heroism  of  a  few  in 
trepid  youths  divert  the  storm  of  war  and  save 
Canada  from  possible  ruin." 

Adam  Daulac  was  born  in  1635  of  a  good  family 
in  France,  He  was  trained  to  the  profession  of 
arms,  and  came  to  Canada  at  the  age  of  twenty-two. 
It  was  while  he  held  the  post  of  commander  ot  the 
little  garrison  at  Montreal,  that  he  formed  the  plan 
of  giving  a  check  to  Iroquois  invasions  in  away  that 


Adam  Daula 


c. 


245 


ily 


at 


was  bold  to  desperation.  He  communicated  a 
portion  of  his  own  devoted  and  fearless  spirit  to 
sixteen  other  young  men,  who  ghuily  accepted  the 
invitation  to  follow  him  in  an  expedition  against  the 
pitiless  pagan  enemy;  The  seventeen  warriors'  pre- 
pared for  death  with  Christian  deliberation.  Each 
of  them  made  his  will.  All  went  to  confession,  re- 
ceived Holy  Communion  in  a  body,  and  bound  them- 
selves by  a  solemn  promise  before  the  altar  to  accept 
no  quarter,  and  to  assist  each  other  to  the  last  gasp. 
Daulac  and  his  brave  company  bade  a  final  adieu  to 
their  friends — as  it  was  certain  they  would  never 
return — and  took  their  way  in  canoes  up  the  Ottawa. 

On  reaching  the  foot  of  the  Long  Sault,"  where 
the  river  rolled  down  in  angry  torrents,  they  landed 
and  took  possession  of  an  old  abandoned  palisade 
fort  constructed  of  small  trees,  and  little  better  than 
a  rude  cattle-shed.  The  Iroquois  were  sure  to  pass 
that  way.  Some  days  after  their  arrival  at  this 
wild  spot,  the  French  were  visited  by  a  band  of 
forty  Hurons  under  the  veteran  chief  Annahotaha, 
and  four  Algonquins — all  of  whom  asked  to  be  per- 
mitted to  share  in  Daulac's  perilous  enterpiise.  He 
accepted  their  offers. 

Next  day  two  canoes,  containing  Iroquois,  were 
fired  at  by  the  French  sentinels  Several  of  the 
savages  were  killed,  but  a   number  escaped   to  the 

'  Their  ages  ranged  from  twenty-one  to  thirty-one  years. 

*  This  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  Long  Sault  on  the  St.  Lawr«qcc. 


246 


Tlic  Catliolic  Pioneers  of  America. 


woods,  and  informed  the  main  body,  consisting  of 
about  two  hundred  warriors.  The  river  was  soon 
alive  with  a  fleet  of  canoes.  The  Iroquois  rushed 
like  demons  at  the  fort,  but  got  such  a  hot  reception 
that  they  quickly  fell  back.  They  then  built  a  fort 
at  some  distance,  took  counsel,  and  once  more  re- 
newed the  attack,  only  to  be  beaten  off  with  heavy 
loss.     A  third  time  they  fared  worse  than  ever. 

"This  dashed  their  spirits,"  says  the  graphic  au- 
thor of  The  Old  Regime  in  Canada,  "and  they  sent 
a  canoe  to  call  to  their  aid  five  hundred  of  their 
warriors  who  were  mustered  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Richelieu.  These  were  the  allies  whom,  but  for 
this  untoward  check,  they  were  on  their  way  to 
join  for  a  combined  attack  on  Quebec,  Three  Rivers, 
and  Montreal.  It  was  maddening  to  see  iheir 
grand  project  thwarted  by  a  few  French  and  In- 
dians ensconced  in  a  paltry  redoubt,  scarcely  better 
than  a  cattie-pen  ,  but  they  were  forced  to  digest 
the  affront  as  best  they  might. 

"Meanwhile,  crouched  behind  trees  and  logs, 
they  beset  the  fort,  harassing  its  defenders  day  and 
night  with  a  spattering  fire  and  a  constant  menace 
of  attack.  Thus  five  days  passed.  Hunger,  thirst, 
^nd  want  of  sleep  wrought  fatally  on  the  strength 
of  the  French  and  their  allies,  who,  pent  up  to- 
gether in  their  narrow  prison,  fought  and  prayed  by 
turns.  Deprived  as  they  were  of  water,  they  could 
not  swallow  the  crushed  Indian  corn,  or    hominy, 


Adam  Dan  lac. 


247 


which  was  their  only  food.  Some  of  them,  under 
cover  of  a  brisk  fire,  ran  down  to  the  river  and  filled 
such  small  vessels  as  they  had  :  but  this  pittance 
only  tantalized  their  thirst.  They  dug  a  hole  in  the 
fort,  and  were  rewarded  at  last  by  a  little  muddy 
water  oozing  through  the  clay. 

"Among  the  assailants  were  a  number  of  Hurons, 
adopted  by  the  Iroquois  and  fighting  on  their  side. 
These  renegades  now  shouted  to  their  countrymen 
in  the  fort,  telling  them  that  a  fresh  army  was  close 
at  hand  ;  that  they  would  soon  be  attacked  by  seven 
or  eight  hundred  warriors  ;  and  that  their  only  hope 
was  in  joining  the  Iroquois,  who  would  receive  them 
as  friends.  Annahotaha's  followers,  half-dead  with 
thirst  and  famine,  listened  to  their  seducers,  took 
the  bait,  and,  one,  two,  or  three  at  a  time,  climbed 
the  palisade,  and  ran  over  to  the  enemy,  amid  the 
hootings  and  execrations  of  chose  whom  they  de- 
serted. Their  chief  stood  firm  ;  and  when  he  saw 
his  nephew.  La  Mouche,  join  the  other  fugitives,  he 
fired  his  pistol  at  him  in  a  rage.  The  four  Algon- 
quins,  who  had  no  mercy  to  hope  for,  stood  fast, 
with  the  courage  of  despair. 

"  On  the  fifth  day  an  uproar  of  unearthly  yells 
from  seven  hundred  savage  throats,  mingled  with 
a  clattering  salute  of  musketry,  told  the  Frenchmen 
that  the  expected  reinforcement  had  come ;  and 
soon,  in  the  forest  and  on  the  clearing,  a  crowd  of 
warriors  mustered  for  the  attack.     Knowing  from 


248 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


the  Huron  deserters  the  weakness  of  their  enemy^ 
they  had  no  doubt  of  an  easy  victory.  They  ad- 
vanced cautiously,  as  was  usual  with  the  Iroquois 
before  their  blood  was  up,  screeching,  leaping  from 
side  to  side,  and  firing  as  they  came  on  ;  but  the 
French  were  at  their  posts,  and  every  loophole 
darted  its  tongue  of  fire.  Besides  muskets,  they 
had  heavy  musketoons  of  large  calibre,  which, 
scattering  scraps  of  lead  and  iron  among  the  throng 
of  savages,  often  maimed  several  of  them  at  one 
discharge.  The  Iroquois,  astonished  at  the  persist- 
ent vigor  of  the  defence,  fell  back  discomfited. 
The  fire  of  the  French,  who  were  themselves  com- 
pletely under  cover,  had  told  upon  them  with  deadly 
effect.  Three  days  more  wore  away  in  a  series  of 
futile  attacks,  made  with  little  concert  or  vigor ;  and 
during  all  this  time  Daulacand  his  men,  reeling  with 
exhaustion,  fought  and  prayed  as  before — sure  of  a 
martyr's  reward. 

"  The  uncertain,  vacillating  temper  common  to 
all  Indians  now  began  to  declare  itself.  Some  of 
the  Iroquois  were  forgoing  home.  Others  revolted 
at  the  thought,  and  declared  that  it  would  be  an 
eternal  disgrace  to  lose  so  many  men  at  the  hands 
of  so  paltry  an  enemy,  and  yet  fail  to  take  revenge. 
It  was  resolved  to  make  a  general  assault,  and 
volunteers  were  called  for  to  lead  the  attack.  After 
the  custom  on  such  occasions,  bundles  of  small  sticks 
were  thrown  upon  the  ground,  and   those   picked 


Adam  Daulac, 


249 


them  up  who  dared,  thus  accepting  the  gage  of 
battle,  and  enrolling  themselves  in  the  forlorn  hope. 
No  precaution  was  neglected.  Large  and  heavy 
shields  four  or  five  feet  high  were  made  by  lashing 
together  three  split  logs  with  the  aid  of  crossbars. 
Covering  themselves  with  these  mantelets,  the 
chosen  band  advanced,  followed  by  the  motley  throng 
of  warriors.  In  spite  of  a  brisk  fire,  they  reached 
the  palisade,  and  crouching  below  the  range  of  shot, 
hewed  furiously  with  their  hatchets  to  cut  their  way 
through.  The  rest  followed  close,  and  swarmed  like 
angry  hornets  around  the  little  fort,  hacking  and 
^earing  to  get  in. 

*'  Daulac  had   crammed  a   large  musketoon  with 
oowder,  and  plugged  up  the  muzzle.     Lighting  the 
'use  inserted   in   it,  he   tried  to  throw  it  over  the 
barrier,  to  burst  like  a  grenade  among  the  crowd  of 
savages  without ;  but  it  struck  the   ragged  top  of 
one  of  the  palisades,  fell  among  the  Frenchmen  and 
exploded,  killing  and  wour.ding  several  of  them  and 
nearly  blinding  others.     In  the  confusion  that  fol- 
lowed, the  Iroquois  got  possession  of  the  loopholes, 
and,  thrusting  in  their  guns,  fired  on  those  within. 
In  a  moment  more  they  had  torn  a  breach  in  the 
palisade ;  but   nerved  with  the    energy  of  despera- 
tion, Daulac  and  his  followers  sprang  to  defend  it. 
Another    breach    was    made,    and    then    another. 
Daulac  was  struck  dead,  but  the  survivors  kept  up 
the  fight.     With  a  sword  or  a  hatchet  in  one  hand 


n 


kl^ 


250 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Avierica. 


and  a  knife  in  the  other,  they  threw  themselves 
against  the  throng  of  enemies,  striking  and  stabbing 
with  the  fury  of  madmen  ;  till  the  Iroquois,  despair- 
ing of  taking  them  alive,  fired  volley  after  volley 
and  shot  them  down.  All  was  over,  and  a  burst 
of  triumphant  yells  proclaimed  the  dear-bought 
victory." 

And  thus  fell  Adam  Daulac,  the  dauntless  hero 
of  the  Long  Sauit,  on  the  21st  of  May,  1660,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-nve  years,  after  achieving  a  feat  of 
arms  that  deserves  to  be  immortalized.  The  glorious 
death  of  this  youthful  Catholic  Pioneer  and  his 
brave  companions  saved  Canada,  and  taught  the 
Iroquois  a  terrible  lesson,  as  fully  one-third  of  their 
number  lay  dead  and  dying  around  the  ruined  fort. 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America.  251 


\"\ 


JAMES  MARQUETTE.  S.  J., 

THE  DISCOVERER  OF  THE  UPPER  MISSISSIPPI,  AND  APOSTLE  OP 
THE  MISSISSIPPI  I  -A  LLEV. 

Died  A.  D.  1675. 

EVER  were  the  words  of  the  Holy  Book,  that 
"  the  humble  shall  be  exalted,"  more  truly 
fulfilled  than  in  the  illustrious  subject  of  this 
sketch.  He  fled  from  fame.  He  despised  the  fleet- 
ing glory  of  earth.  Yet  both  sought  him — followed 
him  like  his  own  shadow  ! 

James  Marquette  was  born  at  the  ancient  seat  of 
his  family,  in  the  city  of  Laon,  France,  in  the  year 
1637.  The  Marquettes  were  a  noble  stock,  of  high 
antiquity  and  martial  spirit,  whose  members  have 
constantly  figured  in  the  wars  of  France.  Our  own 
Republic  is  not  without  its  obligations  to  the  valor 
of  the  Marquettes,  three  of  whom  died  here  in  the 
French  army  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  The 
father  of  the  future  discoverer  of  the  Mississippi 
was  a  worthy  representative  of  his  ancient  house  ; 
while  his  mother,  Rose  de  la  Salle,  was  a  lady  of 
distinguished  piety,  and  a  near  relative  of  the 
Venerable  John  Baptist  de  la  Salle,  founder  of  the 
Brothers  of  the  Christian  Schools. 


X 


2$ 2  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 

James  received  an  excellent  education,  his  pious 
mother  developing  in  his  character  one  of  its  most 
beautitul  traits — childlike  and  sublime  devotion  to 
the  Immaculate  Virgin.  In  his  seventeenth  year  he 
entered  the  Society  of  Jesus.  Fourteen  years  of 
character-building— of  retreat,  study,  and  teaching — 
passed  away,  and  he  was  invested  with  the  sacred 
dignit)'  of  the  priesthood.  Taking  St.  Francis  Xavicr 
an  his  patron  and  model,  he  ardcntl)  sought  a  foreign 
mission  to  some  heathen  people.  Soon  his  wish  was 
gratified. 

Father  Marquette  landed  ^t  Quebec  on  September 
20th,  i666.  At  Three  Rivers,  eighteen  months 
glided  by  in  the  study  of  the  Algonquin  and  Huron 
languages.  He  was  appointed  to  the  Lake  Superior 
missions,  and  began  thait  long  and  painful  journey, 
of  many  hundred  miles,  over  rivers,  lakes,  and 
wilderness,  which  led  to  his  destination.  In  i668, 
he  founded  the  famous  mission  of  Sault  Ste.  Marie, 
"  and  planting  his  cabin  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  on 
the  American  side,  he  began  his  missionary  career." 
He  instructed,  labored,  and  soon  built  a  church — 
the  first  sanctuary  of  the  faith  raised  at  that  cradle 
of  Christianity  in  the  West.  But  a  missionary  was 
urgently  needed  for  Lapointe,  and  to  that  ungrate- 
ful field  Marquette  with  joy  bent  his  steps.  Here 
indeed,  it  was  up-hill  work.  The  Ottawas  and 
Hurons,  among  whom  he  was  now  stationed,  were 
fearfully  corrupt.     As  he  himself  testifies,  they  were 


James  Marquette,  S.  y. 


253 


*'  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God,  being  above  all  other 
nations  addicted  to  lewdness,  sacrifices,  and  jug- 
gleries." 

In  the  letter  just  quoted  (dated  1669),  Father 
Marquette  for  the  first  time  mentions  the  Missis- 
sippi: "  When  the  Illinois'  come  to  Lapointe,"  he 
writes  to  the  Superior,  "  they  pass  a  large  river, 
almost  a  league  wide.  It  runs  north  and  south, 
and  so  far  that  the  Illinois,  who  do  not  know  what 
canoes  are,  have  never  yet  heard  of  its  mouth.  .  .  . 
This  great  river  can  hardly  empty  in  Virginia,  and 
we  rather  believe  that  its  mouth  is  in  California.  If 
the  Indians  who  promise  to  make  me  a  canoe  do 
not  fail  to  keep  their  word,  we  shall  go  into  this 
river  as  soon  as  we  can  with  a  Frenchman  and  this 
young  man'  given  me,  who  knows  some  of  the  lan- 
guages;  we  shall  visit  the  nations  which  inhabit  it, 
in  order  to  open  the  way  to  so  many  of  our  Fathers 
who  have  long  awaited  this  happiness.  This  dis- 
covery will  also  give  us  a  complete  knowledge  of 
the  southern  and  western  sea." 

The  clouds  of  war,  however,  \vere  gloomily  over- 
shadowing Lapointe.  Provoked  by  the  Huronsand 
Ottawas,  the  fierce  Sioux  swooped  down  on  their 
villages  and  obliged  them  to  fly.  Father  Mar- 
quette followed  his  fleeing  Hurons  to  Mackinaw, 
founded  the  mission  of  St.  Ignatius  there,  and  built 


*  An  Indian  tribe  from  wiiom  the  State  of  Illinois  derives  its  name. 
«  A  young  Ottawa  Indian. 


254 


TJie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Auiirica. 


m 


1      II 


'«!!;i 


a  chapel  in  1671.  Tliis  rude  log  church  "  was  the 
first  sylvan  shrine  raised  to  the  Catholic  Religion  at 
Mackinaw." 

The  star  of  hope  which  lit  up  his  fancied  pathway 
to  the  "  Father  of  Waters,"  now  grew  dim,  and  at 
last  faded  almost  out  of  view.  Still  he  hoped 
against  hope,  labored  among  his  Indians,  and  fer- 
vently prayed  to  the  Most  Blessed  Virgin  to  obtain 
for  him  the  privilege  of  discovering  the  great  river, 
and  of  spreading  the  light  of  the  Gospel  among  the 
dusky  inhabitants  of  its  banks. 

Two  years  passed  away ;  and  one  day  late  in  the 
fall  of  1673,  a  canoe  approached  Mackinaw,  and 
landed.  It  contained  Louis  Joliet,  a  French  Cana- 
dinn  gentleman  of  learning  and  experience,  who 
liad  orders  from  the  Count  de  Frontenac,  Governor 
of  Canada,  to  go  on  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi, 
taking  Father  Marquette  as  his  companion  and 
guide.  ''The  day  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
of  the  Holy  Virgin,"  writes  the  missionary  in  his 
Journal,  "whom  I  had  always  invoked  since  I  came 
to  this  Ottawa  country,  to  obtain  of  God  the 
grace  to  be  able  to  visit  the  nations  on  the  Miss- 
issippi, was  the  very  day  on  which  Mr.  Joliet  ar- 
rived." Father  Marcpictte  was  enraptured  at  the 
good  news.  The  whole  winter  was  spent  in  making 
the  necessary  preparations.  A  rude  map  of  tlve 
'iver  was  drawn  uj)  from  information  received  from 
tne  Indians,  and  all  facts  of  any  value   were   care- 


jfa)fii's  Marqiiitti\,  S.  J. 


2S5 


fully  made  in  note- books.  The  discovery  was  dan- 
gerous, but  it  was  not  to  be  rash  ;  all  was  the  re- 
sult of  calm,  cool  investigation,  and  never  was 
chance  Isss  concerned  than  in  the  discovery  of  the 
Mississippi.  '•  V/e  took  all  possible  precautions," 
says  Father  Marquette,  "  that,  if  our  enterprise  was 
hazardous,  it  should  not  be  foolhardy." 

On  the  17th  of  May,  1673,  two  canoes,  with  Mar- 
(juette,  Joliet,  and  five  men,  set  out,  and  their  nimble 
paddles  cut  the  bright  surface  of  Lake  Michigan. 
They  soon  reached  Green  Bay  Mere,  the  priest 
tells  us:  "I  put  our  voyage  under  the  protection 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Immaculate,  promising  her  that 
if  she  did  us  the  grace  to  discover  the  great  river,  I 
would  give  it  the  name  of  Conception."  They  pro- 
ceeded up  Fox  River,  crossed  by  a  portage  to  the 
Wisconsin,  sailed  down  tliat  stream,  and  reached 
the  mouth  of  the  long-desired  Mississippi,  whicii, 
says  Marquette,  "  we  safely  entered  on  the  17th  ot 
June,  with  a  joy  that  I  cannot  express." 

The  Jesuit  was  a  close  obscr\er,  and  attentively 
remarked  all  the  peculiarities  of  the  renowned  river — 
birds,  beasts,  fishes,  plants,  trees,  Indians  -nothing 
escaped  his  keen,  scientific  eye.  His  acuteness  of 
observation  was  onl)-  equalled  b\-  his  descriptive 
power.  His  own  nairative  of  the  exploring  x'oyage 
is  a  charming  piece  of  composition.  Ouicisly  their 
light  canoes  fled  down  the  mighty  stream,  "  proceed- 
ing on  thtiir  way  amid   a   solitude   frightful   by  its 


Oil 


'A 


256 


The  Catholic  Pionttrs  of  America. 


« 


utter  absence  of  man."  At  length,  on  the  25th  of 
June,  they  saw  footprints  on  the  shore,  and  a  beaten 
path  leading  to  a  beautiful  prairie.  Here  they 
landed,  and  leaving  their  men  to  take  care  of  the 
c^.noes,  Marquette  and  Joliet  directed  their  steps 
inland  to  an  Illinois  village,  where  they  were  well 
received  with  a  great  many  savage  ceremonies 

Joliet  told  the  Indians  that  he  represented  the 
Governor  of  Canada,  the  renowned  white  chief,  and 
that  Marquette  was  the  ambassador  of  the  Great 
Spirit.  After  the  usual  greetings,  the  grand  Sachem 
arose  and  said :  "  I  thank  the  black  gown  and  the 
Frenchman  for  taking  so  much  pains  to  come  and 
visit  us .  never  has  tne  earth  been  so  beautiful,  nor 
the  sun  so  bright  as  to-day  !  .  .  .  I  pra}  you  take 
pity  on  me  and  all  my  nation.  You  know  the  Great 
Spirit  who  has  made  us  all ,  ask  him  to  give  me  life 
and  health,  and  come  and  dwell  with  us  that  wt  may 
know  Him."  He  then  made  them  presents,  among 
others  a  valuable,  but  all-mysterious  calumet. 

"  This  council,'"  says  Marquette.  "  was  followed 
by  a  great  feast  that  consisted  of  four  courses,  which 
we  had  to  take  with  all  their  ways.  The  first  course 
was  a  great  wooden  dish  of  saganimity — Indian  meal 
boiled  in  water  and  seasoned  with  grease.  The 
master  of  ceremonies,  with  a  spoonful  of  saganimity, 
presented  it  three  or  four  times  to  my  mouth.  a<  we 
would  do  with  a  little  child.  He  did  the  same  to 
Mr.  Joliet. 


James  Marquctt  .  S.  J. 


257 


''  For  a  second  course  he  brought  in  a  second  dish 
containing  three  fisii ;  he  took  some  pains  to  remove 
the  bones,  and  having  blown  upon  it  to  cool  it,  put 
it  in  my  mouth,  as  we  would  food  to  a  bird.  For 
the  third  course,  they  produced  a  large  dog  which 
they  had  just  killed,  but  learning  that  we  did  not 
cat  \\  t  was  withdrawn.  Finally,  the  fourth  course 
vv.i~<  a  piece  of  wild  ox,  the  fattest  portions  of  which 
were  put  into  our  mouths.''  Then  came  the  parting, 
amid  nun'<  us  ceremonies.  Nearly  six  hundred 
Indians  escorted  the  priest  and  his  companion  to 
their  canoes,  and  saw  them  embark. 

Aft':.  ].:ssing  through  many  adventurep,  and 
danger:.  '00  numerous  to  relate — they  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  Arkansas.  Here  they  halted,  and 
after  much  deliberation,  resolved  to  return.  Mar- 
quette and  his  companions  learned  all  they  wished 
to  know — "that  the  Mississippi  undoubtedly  had  its 
mouth  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico."  By  proceeding 
further  they  might  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Span- 
iards, then  at  war  with  the  French. 

On  the  17th  of  July,  the  hardy  voyagers  turned 
the  prows  of  their  canoes  about,  and  began  the  pain- 
ful and  laborious  work  of  ascending  and  stemming 
the  currents  of  the  majestic  river.  Green  Bay  was 
reached  four  months  after  their  departure  from  it, 
The  distance  travelled  over  wms  about  two  thousand 
six  hundred  miles. 

*'  Had  all  the  voyage,"  says  Father   Marquette, 


if  « 


X 


■  Jil 


;i 


■Ml 


Hi' 


it 


t"  i;y^ 


2^8 


The  CatJiolic  Pioneers  of  Aifierica. 


|j 


"  caused  but  the  salvation  of  a  single  soul,  I  should 
•ueein  all  my  fatigue  well  repaid  ;  and  this  I  have 
reason  to  think,  for,  when  I  was  returning,  I  passed 
by  the  Indians  of  Peoria,  who  brought  me  to  the 
water's  edge  a  dying  child,  which  I  baptized  a  little 
before  it  expired."  The  apostolic  Jesuit  regarded 
the  salvation  of  one  soul  as  a  matter  of  greater  im- 
portance than  all  his  discoveries. 

Joliet  proceeded  to  Canada  to  publish  the  news 
of  the  great  discovery  to  the  world,  while  the  humble 
Marquette  remained  at  Green  Bry  to  recruit  his  de- 
clining health  before  renewing  his  lab*,  rs  among  the 
Indians.  "  He  sought  no  laurels,"  says  Shea,  "  he 
aspired  to  no  tinsel  praise.'  By  an  accident  in 
shooting  one  of  the  St.  Lawrence  rapids,  Joliet  lost 
his  map  and  papers — a  circumstance  that  gave  a 
double  value  to  P^ather  Marquette's  map.  The  latter 
was  afterwards  published  by  the  Superior  at  Paris. 
A  good  copy  of  it  may  be  seen  in  Shea's  "  Discovery 
and  Exploration  of  the  Mississippi,"  a  valuable  work 
of  much  learning  and  research. 

The  remaining  portion  of  the  story  of  Marquette's 
heroic  life  is  short,  but  touching  and  beautiful. 
His  superhuman  labors  had  broken  down  his  once 
vigorous  constitution.  During  the  winter  of  1674, 
he  lay  on  a  sick  couch,  the  victim  of  a  complication 
of  diseases.  When  the  summer  of  the  same  year 
arrived,  and  his  good  health  had  partly  returned,  he 
received  the  necessary  orders  to  establish  a  mission 


t  ! 

i;  J 


James  Marquette,  S.  J. 


259 


among   the    Illinois — in    fulfilment  of   his  promise 
when  descending  the  Mississippi. 

On  thr  25th  of  October,  he  set  out  for  Kaskaskia, 
Leaving  Green  Bay,  with  two  men  and  a  number  of 
Indians,  he  coasted  along  the  western  shore  of  Lake 
Michigan,  reaching  the  Chicago  River  in  December. 
Weak  in  health,  with  a  severe  winter  staring  him  in 
the  face,  Father  Marquette  could  not  think  of 
making  the  overland  journey  to  Kaskaskia.  He 
determined  to  winter  where  he  was,  his  two  faithful 
French  companions  remaining  with  him.  A  log  hut 
was  built — the  first  human  habitation  erected  on 
the  site  of  the  since  great  city  of  Chicago.  The 
priest  playfully  told  them  that  this  was  his  last 
voyage,  that  his  end  was  near. 

Hearing  of  his  illness,  the  Illinois  in  great  griei 
sent  a  deputation  to  visit  their  black-gown.  He 
received  the  Indians  with  extreme  kindness,  promis- 
ing to  make  every  effort  to  reach  their  village,  were 
it  but  for  a  few  days.  *'  On  this,"  says  Marquette, 
*  they  bid  me  t;ake  heart  and  stay  and  die  in  their 
country,  as  I  had  promised  to  remain  a  long  time." 
The  red  men  then  returned  to  their  winter  camps. 

His  sickness  did  not  prevent  him  from  spending 
that  long  winter  in  prayer,  meditation,  and  retreat. 
Feeling  his  weakness  daily  increase,  and  fearing  he 
would  not  be  able  to  fulfil  his  promise  to  the  Illinois, 
he  and  his  companions  had  recourse  to  the  Most 
Blessed   Virgin    by   a   novena.     Their    prayer    was 


!'■ 


26o 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


heard.     As  spring  returned,  so  did  a  portion  of  the 
good  priest's  strength. 

On  the  8th  of  April,  he  reached  Kaskaskia,  and 
was  received  as  an  angel  from  Heaven.  On  the 
Monday  of  Holy  Week  he  began  liis  instructions. 
Soon  a  rustic  altar,  adorned  with  pictures  of  the 
Most  Holy  Virgin,  was  erected,  and  Mass  celebrated 
for  the  first  time  in  his  new  mission.  Chiefs  and 
warriors,  young  and  old,  gathered  around  their 
beloved  black-gown  ;  and  there,  at  least,  the  seeds 
of  the  Gospel  fell  on  good  ground. 

Easte'r  was  past,  and  his  Illinois  mission  estab- 
lished, when  the  painful  malady  returned  with  re- 
newed force.  Well  aware  that  he  had  reached  the 
boundary  line  of  life,  the  indomitable  Jesuit  set  out 
for  Mackinaw,  hoping  to  die  among  his  fellow- 
missionaries.  He  passed  by  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Joseph  River,  proceeding  to  the  north  along  the 
eastern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  As  the  two  canoe- 
men  urged  the  frail  craft  over  the  lonely  waters,  the 
sight  and  strength  of  the  priest  gradually  failed  , 
"  and  he  was  at  length  so  weak  that  he  had  to  be 
lifted  in  and  out  of  his  canoe  when  they  landed  each 
night." 

"  On  the  eve  of  hi-«  death,"  writes  Father  Dablon, 
"he  told  them,  all  radiant  with  joy,  that  it  would 
take  place  on  tlie  morrow  During  the  whole  day, 
lie  conversed  with  them  about  the  manner  of  his 
burial,  the  way  in  which  he  should  be  laid  out,  the 


Janus  Marquette,  S.  J 


261 


place  to  be  selected  for  his  intermer.t,  how  they 
should  arrange  his  hands  and  face,  and  raise  a  cross 
over  his  grave. 

"  He  even  went  so  far  as  to  enjoin  them,  only 
three  hours  before  he  expired,  to  take  his  chapel- 
bell,  as  soon  as  he  was  dead,  and  ring  it  while  they 
carried  him  to  the  grave.  Of  all  this  he  conversed 
so  calmly  and  collectedly  that  you  would  have 
thought  he  spoke  of  the  death  and  burial  of  another, 
and  not  ot  his  own. 

*'Thus  did  he  speak  'o  them  as  he  sailed  along 
the  lake,  till  perceiving  the  mouth  of  a  river,  with 
an  eminence  on  the  bank  which  he  thought  suited 
for  his  burial,  he  told  them  that  it  was  the  place  of 
his  last  repose.  They  wished,  however,  to  pass  on, 
as  the  weather  permitted  it  and  the  day  was  not  far 
advanced,  but  God  raised  a  contrary  wind,  which 
obliged  them  to  return  and  enter  the  river  which 
the  Father  had  designated. 

"They  then  carried  him  ashore,  kindled  a  little 
fire,  and  raised  a  poor  bark  cabin  for  his  use,  laying 
him  in  it  with  as  little  discomfort  as  they  could  .  but 
they  were  so  depressed  by  sadness  that,  as  they 
afterwards  said,  they  did  not  know  what  they  were 
doing, 

'•  The  Father  being  thus  stretched  on  the  shore 
like  St.  Francis  Xavier,  as  he  had  always  so  ardently 
des^d,  and  left  alone  amid  those  forests — for  his 
companions  were    engaged    in    unloading — he   had 


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26j 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


I     I 


leisure  to  repeat  all  the  acts  in  which  he  had  em- 
ployed  himself  during  the  preceding  days. 

"  When  his  dear  companions  afterwards  came  up, 
all  dejected,  he  consoled  them,  and  gave  them  hopes 
that  God  would  take  care  of  them  after  his  death  in 
those  new  and  unknown  countries;  he  gave  them 
his  last  instructions,  thanked  them  for  all  the  charity 
they  had  shown  him  during  the  voyage,  begged 
their  pa^on  for  the  trouble  he  had  given  them, 
directed  them  also  to  ask  pardon  in  his  name  of  all 
our  Fathers  and  Brothers  in  the  Ottawa  country, 
and  then  disposed  them  to  receive  the  Sacrament  of 
Penance,  which  he  administered  to  them  for  the 
last  time. 

"  He  also  gave  them  a  paper  on  which  he  had 
written  all  his  faults  since  his  last  confession,  to  be 
given  to  his  Superior,  to  oblige  him  to  pray  to  God 
more  earnestly  for  him.  In  short,  he  promised  not 
to  forget  them  in  Heaven,  and  as  he  was  very  kind- 
hearted,  and  knew  them  to  be  worn  out  with  the  toil 
of  the  preceding  days,  he  bade  them  go  and  take  a 
little  rest,  assuring  them  that  his  hour  was  not  yet 
so  near  but  that  he  would  wake  them  when  it  was 
time — as,  in  fact,  he  did  two  or  three  hours  after, 
calling  them  when  about  to  enter  into  his  agony. 

"When  they  came  near,  he  embraced  them  again 
for  the  last  time,  while  they  melted  in  tears  at  his 
feet.  He  then  asked  for  the  holy  water  and  his 
reliquary,  and,  taking  off  his  crucifix,  which  he  always 


James  Marquette,  S.  J. 


263 


; 


wore  hanging  from  his  neck,  he  placed  it  in  the 
hands  of  one  of  his  companions,  asking  him  to  hold 
it  constantly  opposite  him,  raised  before  his  eyes. 

"  Feeling  that  he  had  but  a  little  while  to  live,  he 
made  a  last  effort,  clasped  his  hands,  and,  with  his 
eyes  fixed  sweetly  on  his  crucifix,  he  pronounced 
aloud  his  profession  of  faith,  and  thanked  the  Divine 
Majesty  for  the  immense  favor  He  bestowed  upon 
him  in  allowing  him  to  die  in  the  Society  of  Jesus, 
to  die  in  it  as  a  missionary  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  above 
all,  to  die  in  it,  as  he  had  always  asked,  in  a  wretched 
cabin,  amid  the  forests,  destitute  of  all  human  aid." 
His  last  words  were,  Mater  Dei,  memento  met — 
"  Mother  ot  God,  remember  me."  And  thus,  on  the 
lone,  wild  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  died,  at  the  age 
of  thirty-eight,  on  Saturday,  the  18th  of  May,  1675, 
Father  James  Marquette,  the  first  explorer  of  the 
Mississippi  and  the  Apostle  of  the  Illinois.' 

Among  the  Catholic  Pioneers  of  the  New  World, 
his  name  is  one  of  the  purest  and  brightest.  It 
shines  with  dazzling  splendor.  It  combines  virtue, 
genius,  and  heroism.  This  noble  priest  was  full  of 
joy  and  sunshine,  and  the  wildest  savage  paid  him 
the  homage  of  respect.  In  his  letters  we  see  the 
devoted  missionary,  and  the  keen,  polished  scholar 
He  was  the  first  to  give  a  theory  of  the  lake  tides, 
and  modern  science  has  nor  added  to  his  discovery 

'  "  The  river  where  he  died,"  writes  Harkman.  "  is  a  small  stream  in  the  west 
of  Michigan,  some  distance  south  of  the  promontory  called  the  Sii;-/>in^-  Hear. 
It  long  bore  his  name,  which  is  now  borne  by  a  larger  neighboring  stream." 


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264 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica 


and  explanation.  If  the  great  Society  of  Jesus  had 
produced  but  Father  James  Marquette.,  it  would  be 
forever  entitled  to  the  gratitude  of  all  Americans. 


ROBERT  CAVELIER  DE  LA  SALLE, 

THF.  DISCOVERER  OF  THE  OHIO  RIVER,  AND  EXPLORER  OF  THE 

MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY. 

Died  A.  D.  1687. 

THE  angel  of  death  had  scarcely  called  away  the 
beautiful  spirit  of  Father  Marquette,  when  an- 
other intrepid  Catholic  Pioneer,  who  was  maturing  in 
his  mind  a  vast  scheme  of  settlement  and  exploration, 
prepared  to  sail  down  the  Father  of  Waters  and  to 
develop  the  exhaustless  riches  of  the  great  Missis- 
sippi Valley.  It  was  Robert  Cavelier,  more  com- 
monly known  as  La  Salle.' 

He  belonged  to  a  wealthy  and  honorable  family, 
was  born  in  the  city  of  Rouen,  France,  in  the  year 
1643.  It  is  said  that  in  early  youth  lie  entered  the 
Society  of  Jesus,  in  which  he  remained  for  several 
years,  studying  and  teaching.  He  had  a  great  love 
for   the    exact  sciences,  especially  mathematics,  in 

>  The  family  name  was  Cavelier.  "  I.a  Salle,"  writes  Parkman.  "was  the 
name  of  an  estate  near  Rouen,  belongin*'  to  the  Caveliers.  The  wealthy 
French  burghers  often  distinguished  the  various  members  of  tlieii  families  by 
designations  borrowed  from  landed  estates  '' 


Robert  Cavclicr  De  La  Salle. 


265 


which  he  attained  remarkable  proficiency.  La 
Salle  left  the  seminary  of  the  Jesuits,  bearing  with 
him  the  respect  of  his  superiors  for  purity  of  char- 
acter  and  rare  energy.  On  account,  however,  of  hav- 
ing entered  the  religious  state,  he  was,  by  an  unjust 
provision  of  the  French  law,  deprived  of  his  fortune. 

He  at  once  commenced  a  new  career,  and  sailed 
for  Canada  in  the  spring  of  1666.  From  the  priests 
of  St.  Sulpice  he  obtained  the  grant  of  a  large  tract 
of  land  near  Montreal,  at  a  place  named  La  Chine, 
Commencing  the  study  of  the  native  languages,  his 
great  abilities  enabled  him,  in  two  01  three  years,  to 
master  Iroquois,  Algonquin,  and  five  or  six  other 
Indian  dialects. 

In  the  winter  of  1670,  La  Sialle  organized  an  ex- 
pedition which  included  some  Sulpitians,  and  pro- 
ceeded towards  the  southwest.  Our  accounts  of  it 
are  somewhat  vague.  He  discovered  the  Ohio, 
however,  which  he  sailed  down  as  far  as  the  present 
site  of  Louisville.  His  men  leaving  him,  he  re^ 
turned  alone  to  Canada. 

We  next  find  him  commander  of  the  newly  es- 
tablished  Fort  Frontenac — now  Kmgston.  He  held 
this  position  when  the  tidings  of  Marquette's  dis- 
covery of  the  Mississippi  reached  him.  This  was  a 
new  and  welcome  idea.  La  Salle  at  once  identified 
**  the  great  river  of  IMarquette  with  the  great  river 
of  De  Soto."  His  schemes  of  exploration  received 
a  fresh  impulse. 


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266 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


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Three  thoughts,  rapidly  developing  in  his  mind, 
were  mastering  La  Salle,  and  engendering  an  in- 
vincible purpose :  (i.)  He  would  achieve  t'lat  which 
Champlain  vainly  attempted,  and  of  which  our  own 
generation  has  but  seen  the  accomplishment — the 
opening  of  a  passage  to  India  and  China  across  the 
American  Continent.  (2.)  He  would  occupy  the 
Great  West,  develop  its  commercial  resources,  and 
anticipate  the  Spaniards  and  English  in  the  posses- 
sion of  it.  (3.)  For  he  soon  became  convinced  that 
the  Mississippi  discharged  itself  into  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico — he  would  establish  a  fortified  post  at  its 
mouth,  thus  securing  an  outlet  for  the  trade  of  the 
interior,  checking  the  progress  of  the  Spaniards,  and 
forming  a  base  whence  in  time  of  war  their  northern 
provinces  could  be  invaded  and  conquered.  Such 
were  the  great  projects  conceived  and  nursed  in  the 
fertile  brain  of  this  heroic,  but  penniless  young 
Frenchman.' 

The  better  to  carry  out  his  vast  enterprises,  La 
Salle  returned  to  France  in  1675,  obtained  from 
Louis  XIV.  a  grant  of  Fort  Frontenac,  a  monopoly 
of  the  lake  trade,  and  a  patent  of  nobility.  He 
then  sailed  for  Canada.  Some  time  after,  he  again 
returned  to  his  native  country,  and  received  a  com- 
mission to  continue  the  exploration  of  the  "great 
river."  As  his  lieutenant  he  chose  Tonti,  a  one- 
armed  Italian  veteran,  whose  "  energy  and  address 

*  Parkman. 


%: 


Robert  Caveiier  De  La  Salle. 


267 


made  him  equal  to  anything."  He  also  enlisted  thirty 
mechanics  and  mariners  for  the  expedition,  which 
was  accompanied  by  several  Franciscan  Fathers. 

In  1678,  he  reached  Fort  Frontenac  for  a  third 
time;  and  at  once  dispatched  Tonti  and  a  number 
of  his  men  to  build  a  ship  at  the  head  of  the  Niagara 
River,  on  Lake  Erie.  La  Salle  himself  immediately 
followed.  He  laid  the  keel  with  his  own  hands,  and 
drove  the  first  bolt.  The  vessel,  which  carried  about 
forty-five  tons,  was  soon  finished,  and  named  The 
Griffin,  in  honor  of  the  arms  of  the  Count  de  Fron- 
tenac, Governor  of  Canada.  On  August  7th,  1679, 
she  was  launched  with  great  ceremony,  amid  an 
admiring  crowd  of  Indians,  who  gathered  around 
the  French.  This  was  the  first  vessel  heavier  than 
a  canoe  that  ever  cut  the  sparkling  waters  of  the 
great  American  lakes.  Amid  the  sounds  of  many 
voices,  chanting  the  TV  Deum,  the  good  ship  left 
her  moorings ;  rode  the  waves  of  Erie ;  passed  to 
the  north  through  a  little  lake,  which  La  Salle  called 
St.  Clair,  in  honor  of  the  holy  virgin  of  that  name ; 
sped  over  Huron  and  a  portion  of  Michigan  ;  was 
nearly  lost  in  a  violent  storm,  and  finally  landed  at 
Green  Bay,  on  the  2d  of  September.  Many  of  the 
brave  La  Salle's  previous  plans  having  failed,  he 
found  himself  deeply  in  debt ;  and  to  satisfy  his 
creditors,  he  loaded  the  Griffin  with  a  cargo  of  rich 
furs  and  sent  her  back. 

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268 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


towards  the  south.     On  reaching  Lake  Peoria,  on 
the  Illinois  River,  he  began  the  construction  of  a 
fort,  which  he  called  Crhjccoeur,^  on  account  of  the 
unhappy  news  which  here  reached  him.     The  Griffin 
had  perished  in  the  waters  of  Michigan !     His  sup- 
plies were  exhausted.     He  depended  on  the  return 
of  his  vessel  for  more.     Far  from  being  discouraged 
•by  the  frowns  of  fortune,  the  indomitable  commander, 
with  fearless  energy,  set  out  on  foot  through  the 
wilderness  for  Fort  Frontenac — a  distance  of  over 
1,200  miles.     He  reached  it  only  to  learn  of  fresh 
disasters.     "  This   was,"    says    Margry,    *'  the    most 
arduous  march  ever  made  by  Frenchmen  in  America." 
The  difficulties  of  correspondence  in  such  a  posi- 
tion are  thus  hinted  at  by  La  Salle  in  a  letter  to  a 
friend.     '*  I  have  written  it,"  he  says,  "at  twenty 
different  times  and  in  twenty  different  places,  and 
am  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  trom 
where  I  began  it.     I  close  it  now  more  from  want  ■ 
of  paper  than  of  matter,  for  I  have  still  a  hundred 
things  to  tell  you,  but  I  must  send  off  this  canoe  if 
I  want  my  letter  to  reach  you.     It  will  not  be  easy 
for  it  to  reach  Quebec  before  the  vessels  sail,  having 
more  than    three  hundred   leagues   to   make   in  a 
month."     Sometimes  a  letter  took  over  a  year  in 
reaching    France.     The    express   train    and    ocean 
steamer  were  conveniences  then  unknown. 


'  The  broken-lieartcA.  '  This  was  the  fint  civihzed  occupation  of  the  region 
which  now  forms  the  State  of  Illinois.  The  s[H>t  may  still  be  seen  a  little  below 
Peoria."  - Parktmin. 


Robert  Cavelier  De  La  Salle, 


269 


While  La  Salle  was  gone,  Father  Hennepin,  by 
his  orders,  left  Crfevecceur,  and  explored  the  upper 
Mississippi  as  far  as  the  Falls  of  St  Anthony,  a  name 
given  it  by  the  Franciscan,  in  honor  of  the  famous 
St.  Anthony  of  Padua. 

Ever  "  up  and  doing,  with  a  heart  for  any  fate," 
La  Salle,  in  a  canoe,  again  set  out  for  Fort  Cr^ve- 
coeur,  which  he  reached  and  found  abandoned  by 
Tonti  and  his  men.  Continuing  the  search  for  his 
lieutenant,  he  found  him  at  Mackinaw,  whither  want 
had  driven  the  whole  party.  Their  canoes  were 
once  more  directed  to  Fort  Frontenac.  Here  vigor- 
ous preparations  were  resumed  to  begin*  the  expedi 
tion  anew. 

Winter  had  scarcely  relaxed  his  icy  clasp  on  the 
great  rivers  of  the  West  when  the  indefatigable 
explorer,  with  a  few  Franciscan  priests,  twenty-three 
Frenchmen,  and  eighteen  Indians — all  inured  to 
war — directed  their  course  towards  the  Mississippi. 
Floating  down  the  Illinois  River,  they  reached  the 
"  Father  of  Waters"  in  February,  1682.  Without 
delay,  they  began  the  descent  of  the  mighty  stream 
As  they  pressed  on,  they  frequently  came  in  con- 
tact with  the  Indians,  whom  La  Salle  won  by  his 
eloquence  and  engaging  manners.  We  are  told  that 
after  the  Indian  motle,  he  was  "  the  greatest  orator 
in  North  America."  The  missionaries  also  announced 
the  words  of  truth  to  the  savages.  **  As  the  great 
explorer  pursued  his  course  down  the  Mississippi," 


li 


{:> 


W  f 


270 


7/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


writes  Bancroft,  "  his  sagacious  eye  discerned  the 
magnificent  resources  of  the  country."  At  every 
point  where  they  landed,  La  Salle  planted  a  cross, 
for  he  *'  was  most  zealous  for  the  Faith."  Finally 
the  mouth  of  the  majestic  river  was  reached,  and 
they  beheld — 


m 

w 


p. 


W.' 


"The  sea!  the  sea'  the  open  sea, 
The  blue,  the  fresh,  the  ever  free." 

On  the  9th  of  April,  La  Salle  took  possession  of 
tlie  country  in  the  name  of  Louis  XIV.  For  this 
purpose  he  had  a  cross  erected,  while  the  whole 
party  chanted  the  Vexilla  Regis  : 

"  Forth  comes  the  standard  of  the  King — 
All  hail,  thou  mysteiy  adored! 
Blessed  Cross  on  which  He  died  Himself, 
And  by  death  our  lives  restored." 

The  impressive  ceremony  was  finished  with  the  TV 
Detim,  and  the  raising  of  a  column  with  the  follow- 
ing inscription  •  *'  Louis  the  Great,  King  of  France 
'  and  Navarre,  reigns  .  the  9th  of  April,  1682."  Then, 
"amid  a  volley  from  all  our  muskets,'  writes  Father 
Membre,  *'  a  leaden  plate,  inscribed  with  the  arms  of 
France  and  the  names  of  those  who  had  just  made 
the  discovery,  was  deposited  in  the  earth." 

By  his  energy  and  enterprise  La  Salle  had  now 
explored  from  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.     In  honor  of  his  sovereign  he  named  all 


!|;l 


Robert  Cavelier  De  La  Salle. 


271 


the  territory  along   the   great   river,  Louisiana — a 
name,  at  present,  restricted  to  one  Stcte 

Turning,  he  ascended  the  Mississippi  and  sailed 
for  France,  in  order  to  secure  the  assistance  of  Louis 
XIV.,  and  the  cooperation  of  his  countrymen  in 
colonizing  the  great  valley,  and  in  developing  its 
immense  natural  resources.  Success  seemed  to  smile 
on  his  plans.  The  government  provided  him  with 
four  ships,  and  a  large  number  of  persons  was  soon 
enlisted  in  his  enterprise. 

In  July,  1684,  he  bade  adieu  for  the  last  time  to 
the  shores  of  sunny  France ;  and  with  his  ships  and 
280  persons,  including  three  Franciscan  Fathers  and 
three  secular  pries:s,  well  supplied  with  all  the  neces- 
saries to  plant  a  colony  at  the  mouth  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, he  directec'  his  course  across  the  Atlantic. 
But  the  entrance  of  the  Father  of  Waters  was  hard 
to  find.  La  Salle  missed  it,  went  westward,  and 
early  in  1685  landed  his  colony  at  Matagorda  Bay, 
in  Texas,  where  he  built  Fort  St.  Louis.  In  the 
choice  of  his  men,  he  soon  found  that  he  had  made 
a  fatal  mistake.  They  were  a  mixed  party,  largely 
composed  of  vagabonds  picked  up  on  the  streets  of 
Rochelle,  and  their  conduct  was  in  keeping  with 
their  character,  as  events  unfortunately  proved. 

After  several  vain  attempts  to  reach  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi  by  sea,  T.a  Salle  resolved  to  strike 
out  for  it  by  land.  Father  Douay,  O.  S.  F.,  his 
chaplain,  has  left  us  a  minute  account  of  their  ad- 


f 


!  ll 


I; 


|v     I 


m' 


272 


TAe  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


venturous  course  over  plains,  forests,  rocks,  and 
rivers.  After  six  months'  fruitless  wanderings, 
however,  they  were  obliged  to  return  to  Fort  St. 
Louis.  Here  La  Salle  heard  that  his  last  vessel  was 
wrecked.  **  With  the  giant  energy  of  an  indomita- 
ble will,"  says  Bancroft,  **  having  lost  his  hopes  of 
fortune,  his  hopes  of  fame,  he  ref.olved  to  travel  on 
foot  to  his  countrymen  at  the  North,  and  return 
from  Canada  to  renew  his  colony  in  Texas." 

With  a  few  priests  and  twenty  men,  he  set  out  on 
this  immense  journey  early  in  1687.  For  nearly 
two  months  and  a  half,  the  intrepid  travellers  boldly 
forced  their  way,  despite  the  hardships  to  be 
endured  from  a  winter  climate,  and  the  countless 
obstacles  offered  by  a  savage  country  But  mutiny 
began  to  manifest  itself.  Some  of  the  party  nursed 
dark  designs.  It  is  best  to  give  the  last  scene  of 
the  sad  narrative  in  the  language  of  an  eye-witness. 

"  Asking  me  to  accompany  him,"  writes  Father 
Douay,  "  La  Salle  took  two  Indians  and  set  out. 
All  the  way  he  conversed  with  me  in  relation  to 
matters  of  piety,  grace,  and  predestination,  expatiat- 
ing on  all  his  obligations  to  God  for  having  saved 
him  from  so  many  dangers  during  the  last  twenty 
years  that  he  had  traversed  America.  He  seemed 
to  me  particularly  penetrated  with  a  sense  of  God's 
benefits  to  him. 

•'  Suddenly  I  saw  him  plunged  into  a  deep  melan- 
choly, for  which  he  himself  could  not  account.     He 


l-V 

'  '  If 

:^. 

Robert  Cavelier  De  La  Salle, 


2/3 


was  so  troubled  that  I  did  not  know  him  any  longer. 
As  this  was  far  from  his  usual  state,  I  roused  him 
from  his  lethargy. 

*•  Two  leagues  after,  we  found  the  bloody  cravat  of 
his  lackey.  He  perceived  two  eagles  flying  over  his 
head,  and  at  the  same  time  saw  some  of  his  people 
on  the  edge  of  the  river,  which  he  approached,  ask- 
ing them  what  had  become  of  his  nephew.' 

"They  answered  us  in  broken  words,  showing  us 
where  we  should  find  him.  We  proceeded  some  steps 
along  the  bank*  to  the  fated  spot  where  two  of  these 
murderers  were  hidden  in  the  grass,  one  on  each 
side,  with  guns  cocked.  One  missed  La  Salle,  the 
other  at  the  same  moment  shot  him  in  the  head. 
He  breathed  his  last  an  hour  after,  on  the  19th  of 
March,  1687.  He  had  confessed  and  fulfilled  all 
his  devotions  just  before  we  started  that  day.  .  . 
During  his  last  moments  he  elicited  all  the  acts  of  a 
good  Christian.  .  .  Thus  died  our  wise  commander, 
constant  in  adversity,  intrepid,  generous,  skilful, 
capable  of  everything." 

La  Salle  "  is  the  worthy  compeer  of  De  Soto  and 
Marquette ;  he  stood  sword  in  hand  under  the 
banner  of  the  Cross,  the  tutelary  genius  of  those 
great  States  which  stretch  away  from  Lake  Ontario 
to  the  Rio  Grande.  Every  league  of  that  region  he 
trod   on   foot,   and   every   league   of   its  water  he 


>  Who  had  been  murdered. 

*  The  crime  was  committed  on  a  Bouthern  branch  of  the  River  Trinity. 


^;i 


:t 


I 


!    .1 

|;fl| 

!.'  ■  '  ■  ■ 


274 


7'/ic  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


navigated  in  frail  canoes  or  crazy  schooners.  Above 
his  tomb  the  Nortiiern  pine  should  tower :  around 
it  the  Michigan  rose  and  the  Southern  myrtle  should 
mingle  their  hues  and  unite  their  perfumes." 

'  Never,    exclaims  Parkman.  "  under  the  impene- 
trable mail   of  paladin  or  crusader,  beat  a  heart  of 
more  intrepid  mettle  than  within  the  stoic  panoply 
that   armed  the  breast  of  La  Salle.     To  estimate 
aright    the    marvels    of   his   patient    fortitude,  one 
must  follow  on  his  track  through  the  vast  scene  of  his 
interminable  journeyings,  those  thousands  of  weary 
miles  of  forest,  marsh,  and  river,  where,  again  and 
again,  in  the  bitterness  of  baffled  striving,  the  untir- 
ing pilgrim   pushed  onward  towards  the  goal  which 
he  was  never  to  attain.     America  owes  him  an  en- 
during memory  :  for  in  this  masculine  figure,  cast  in 
iron,  she  sees  the  heroic  pioneer  who  guided  her  to 
the  possession  of  her  richest  heritage." 


m^ 


The  CatJtolic  Pioneirs  of  Amarica.  275 


MARY  MAGDALEN  DE  LA  PELTRIE, 

FOUNDRESS  OF  THE  URSULINE  COS  VEST,  QUEBEC. 
Died  A.  1).  1671. 

MONG  the  noble  pioneers  whose  memories 
are  embalmed  in  the  early  history  of 
Canada  is  that  of  the  pious,  heroic,  and 
beautiful  Madam  de  la  Pcitrie.  She  was  born  of  a 
wealthy  and  noble  family  at  Alen^on,  France,  in 
1603  :  and,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  in  compliance 
with  her  father's  wishes,  she  married  Charles  de  la 
Peltrie,  a  gentleman  of  rank  and  character.  Five 
years  later,  her  husband  died,  and  she  found  herself 
a  widow  and  childless. 

A  perusal  of  the  first  Jesuit  Relations  attracted  her 
attention  to  Canada.  '*  Alas !"  wrote  Father  Lc 
Jeune,  "  is  there  no  charitable  and  virtuous  lady 
who  will  come  to  this  country  to  gather  up  the 
blood  of  Christ  by  teaching  His  word  to  the  little 
Indian  girls?" 

This  appeal  found  an  immediate  echo  in  the 
tender,  religious  breast  of  Madam  de  la  Peltrie. 
There  was  no  school  for  girls  in  the  wilderness  of 
Canada,  and  she  nobly  determined  to  spend  her  life 


2^6 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


I    ' 


iiii-'i 


and  fortune  in  founding  such  an  institution.  But  it 
was  only  after  overcoming  a  host  of  obstacles  that 
she  found  herself  free  to  devote  herself  to  the  good 
work. 

From  Father  Poncet,  S.  J.,  Madam  de  la  Peltrie 
learned  of  a  remark.ible  Ursuline  nufi — Venerable 
Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation, — and  subsequently, 
on  a  visit  to  Tours,  made  her  acquaintance.  She 
decided   to  found   an  Ursuline  convent  at  Quebec. 

On  a  bright  day,  in  the  summer  of  1639,  a  small 
vessel  glided  up  the  St  Lawrence,  and  neared  the 
little  capital  of  Canada.  The  cannon  roared  welcome. 
All  labor  ceased.  Dusky,  battle-scarred  Hurons  and 
Algonquins hastened  down  to  the  river.  The  Cover 
nor,  some  Jesuit  Fathers,  and  a  file  of  soldiers  were 
ranged  at  the  landing  A  party  of  religious  ladies 
stepped  ashore,  and,  as  they  did  so,  prostrated  them- 
selves, and  kissed  the  soil  of  the  New  World.  It 
was  Madam  de  la  Peltrie,  Mother  Mary  of  the 
Incarnation,  two  other  Ursulines,  and  some  Hospital 
Sisters  The  Te  Deuvi  was  sung,  and  the  gentle 
newcomers  received  a  warm  welcome. 

When  Madam  de  la  Peltrie  visited  an  Indian 
village  near  by,  she  pressed  every  little  dusky  girl 
she  met  to  her  bosom,  ''and  kissed  her  with  a 
mother's  fondness,  unmindful  of  much  that  might 
have  created  disgust."  Canada  was  now  to  have  its 
pioneer  school  for  the  instruction  of  girls — humble 
at  first,  but  destined  to  grow  in  fame  and  usefulness. 


hi,.  ■ 


Afary  Mai>tiaU'n  Dc  La  IMtrie. 


277 


*'  Madam  de  la  Peltrie,  who  had  never  desired  to 
be  rich,  "  says  the  historian  of  New  France,  "  and  who 
had  so  cheerfully  become  poor  for  Christ's  sake, 
could  not  refrain  from  saying  that  she  wished  to 
have  at  her  disposal  enough  to  draw  all  the  tribes 
of  Canada  to  a  knowledge  of  the  true  God  ;  and  she 
took  a  firm  resolution,  which  she  observed  her  whole 
life,  to  spare  herself  in  nothing  where  th*-  salvation 
of  souls  was  to  be  effected.  Her  zeal  h  d  her  even 
to  till  the  soil  with  her  own  hands,  t  ^  have  wh  re- 
with  to  relieve  the  poor  neophytes.  In  a  f<^w  days 
she  had  stripped  herself  of  all  she  had  retained  for 
\\:\  own  use,  so  as  to  reduce  herself  to  want  of  actual 
necessaries,  in  order  to  clothe  the  children  brought 
to  her  almost  naked ;  and  her  whole  life  was  but  a 
series  of  acts  of  the  most  heroic  charity.'" 

Within  the  walls  of  the  Ursuline  Convent  at  Quebec 
both  French  and  Indian  girls  received  a  solid,  refined, 
and  religious  education.  From  time  to  time,  when 
the  little  dusky  pupils  were  permitted  to  have  one 
of  their  pantomimic  dances,  they  invited  Madam  de 
la  Peltrie  to  join  in  the  sport,  and  the  charming, 
kind-hearted  lady  whi  knew  how  to  be  all  to  all, 
did  so  "with  the  best  grace  in  the  world." 

She  was  present  at  the  foundation  of  Montreal, 
and  helped  to  decorate  its  first  rustic  altar.  When 
Governor  De  Maisonneuve  erected  a  large  cross  on 
Mont  Royal,  and  Mass  was  said,  Madam  de  la  Peltrie 


*  Charlevoix. 


278 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


received  Holy  Communion  "  on  the  mountain-top, 
a  spectacle  to  the  virgin  world  out-stretched  below." 

The  joy  of  the  pupils  at  the  Convent  of  Quebec 
was  unbounded,  when  the  ioundress  returned  to 
leave  them  no  more.  Tollicm  she  devoted  her  life. 
She  shared  the  labors  of  the  nuns,  washing,  dressing, 
and  teaching  the  little  Indian  girls  committed  to 
their  care  ;  and  the  whole  colony  mourned  her  loss, 
when,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight,  the  angel  of  death 
called  her  to  receive  the  reward  of  tlije  faithful  Chris- 
tian, on  the  i8th  of  November,  1671. 

This  pious,  high-born  lady  gave  Canada  its  first 
female  academy  ;  and  for  thirty-two  years,  devoted 
her  time,  and  gifts,  and  wealth  to  its  progress  and 
prosperity.  It  must  be  understood  that  she  was  not 
an  Ursuline  Nun,  under  vows  ;  but  simply  a  religious 
woman,  who  chose  to  live  in  a  poor  little  cottage  at 
the  convent  she  had  founded.  She  often  heard  the 
war- whoops  of  the  Iroquois  thirsting  for  scalps.  To 
the  last  she  preserved  her  gay  'j,miability,  and  hand- 
some countenance,  spiritualized  by  a  beautiful  life. 
"  No  one  ever  thought'she  was  growing  old,"  writes 
an  Ursuline. 


f  '  •r-' 


lilji 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Anurica.  Zf^ 


VENERABLE  MARV  GUYARD 

FIRST  SUPERIORESS  Ot  THE  URSULINE  CONVENT^  QUEBEC. 

Died  A.  D.  1672 

ARY  GUYARD,  better  known  in  the  history 
of  the  New  World  as  Mother  Mary  of  the 
Incarnation,  was  born  on  the  28th  of 
October,  1599,  at  the  city  of  Tours,  France.  Her 
parents  were  persons  of  virtue,  in  modest  circum- 
stances. 

"  The  good  education  whicl/  I  received  from  my 
parents,  who  were  most  pious  Christians,"  wrote  this 
great  woman,  "laid  an  excellent  foundation  in  my 
soul ;  and  I  cannot  but  bless  the  Father  of  good- 
ness for  His  gracious  kindness  to  me  in  this  con^ 
nection.  It  is  a  happy  step  in  the  way  of  virtue, 
and  a  precious  preparation  for  a  high  degree  of 
piety,  to  fall  jnto  hands  which  carefuU}'  mould  the 
first  years  of  our  existence." 

Mary  Guyard  gave  her  hand  in  marriage — more 
through  obedience  to  her  father  and  mother,  than 
love  or  inclination — to  a  young  man,  a  silk  manu- 
facturer, named  Martin.  He  died  two  years  later, 
leaving  his  young  widow  at  the  age  of  twenty,  with 
an  itifant  sun,  and  scant  mcano  of  support. 


280 


Tkg  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


w 


m 


\ 


After  twelve  years  of  sorrow  and  suffering,  how- 
ever, she  confided  the  boy'  to  her  sister's  care,  and 
entered  the  Ursuline  Convent  of  Tours.  She  became 
a  professed  nun  in  1633. 

Hitherto  the  life  of  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation 
had  been  passed  in  a  rude  but  useful  training  school. 
There  lay  ah^^ad  a  great  work — buried,  it  is  true,  in 
the  bosom  of  the  mysterious  future.  God  was  pre- 
paring her  for  it.  *'  I  now  see,"  she  wrote  near  the 
end  of  her  days,  "  that  all  'the  states  of  life,  trials 
and  labors  through  which  I  have  passed,  have  had 
but  one  object — to  form  me  for  the  work  to  be  done 
in  Canada." 

While  a  novice  she  had  a  remarkable  dream — a 
glimpse  at  her  future  career.  She  seemed  to  be 
'talking  cautiously  along  a  dark  and  dangerous 
pathway  with  an  unknown  lady.  A  venerable 
personage  directed  the  travellers  to  a  vast  pile  of 
buildings.  On  one  side  was  a  chapel,  and  the  Holy 
Virgin  and  her  Infant  Son  appeared  to  occupy  a 
throne  on  its  summit,  looking  intently  at  a  distant, 
desolate  country  covered  with  gloom  and  fogs 
and  traversed  by  mountains.  A  little  church  was 
visible  in  the  wilderness.  Mother  Mary  pressed 
forward,  and  the  Queen  of  Heaven  smiled  gra- 
ciously and  kissed  the  forehead  of  the  devoted 
traveller.     She   then   whispered   some   message  to 

1  Who  afterwards  entered  the  Order  of  St.  Benedict,  and  became  a  learned 
•iriest. 


Venerable  Mary  Guyard. 


281 


IS 


the  Divine  Child.  It  concerned  the  salvation  of 
souls.  Though  Mother  Mary  heard  not  the  words, 
she  caught  their  meaning,  and  on  awaking,  iier  glow- 
ing heart  burned  more  than  ever  for  the  conversion 
of  pagan  nations. 

When  Madam  de  la  Peltrie,  whose  life  I  have 
sketched  in  another  place,  appeared  in  the  Ursuline 
Convent  at  Tours,  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation 
at  once  recognized  in  her  the  beautiful  unknown 
companion  of  her  dream.  The  Archbishop  of  Tours 
was  the  venerable  figure  that  pointed  out  the  way. 
When  presenting  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation 
and  Mother  St.  Joseph  to  Madam  de  la  Peltrie,  he 
said: 

**  These  are  the  two  foundation-stones  of  the 
temple  which  you  are  about  to  erect  in  the  New 
World  for  the  glory  of  God.  I  entrust  them  to  you 
for  this  end,  and  according  to  your  request.  On 
the  model  of  the  Jerusalem  above,  may  they  be  two 
precious  stones  in  the  foundation.  May  this  edi- 
fice be  a  mansion  of  peace  and  grace  and  celestial 
blessings,  more  abundant  than  the  ancient  temple 
of  Solomon.  May  the  efforts  of  hell  never  prevail 
against  it,  any  more  than  against  the  Holy 'church." 

Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation,  Madam  de  la 
Peltrie,  and  two  Ursulines  landed  at  Quebec  on  the 
1st  of  August,  1639;  and,  after  kissing  tb^  ground, 
they  were  escorted  by  the  Governor,  Jesuit  Fathers, 
and  a  body  of  troops,  to  the  little  chapel,  which  had 


282  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


If''  '■ 

\r    • 

i*     ■ 


I 


>ii 


■J!;' 

•'r?t: 


been  built  by  Champlain.  Mass  was  celebrated,  the 
Te  Deum  chanted,  and,  after  dining  at  the  fort,  the 
gentle  ladies  began  their  heroic  labors. 

The  first  convent  was  a  little  building,  consisting 
of  two  rooms.  The  smaller  was  transformed  into  a 
classroom  ;  the  larger  served  as  bed-room,  choir, 
parlor,  kitchen,  and  refectory.  An  additional  wing 
was  added  and  became  the  chapel.  But  the  scourge 
of  small-pox  soon  changed  the  little  convent,  for  a 
time,  into  a  hospital. 

The  work  of  instruction  progressed  rapidly. 
Mother  Mary  and  her  nuns  bent  themselves  to 
the  study  of  the  Huron  and  Algonquin  languages' 
and  soon  the  little  Indian  girls  enjoyed  the  same 
advantages  as  their  French  sisters. 

Th?  parlor  was  often  visited  by  Indian  warriohs. 
who  received  not  only  the  food  of  instruction,  but 
other  food  demanded  by  the  laws  of  Indian  hospi- 
tality. Among  those  untutored  sons  of  the  wilder- 
ness it  was  considered  an  affront  to  send  away  a 
guest  without  inviting  him  to  eat.  The  "pot  of 
^  sagamite"  had  to  be  constantly  on  the  fire. 

From  time  to  time,  a  more  **  splendia  banquet" 
was  prepared  for  sixty  or  eighty  dusky  visitors. 
On  such  occasions  it  required  *'  a  bushel  of  black 
plums,  twenty  four  pounds  of  bread,  a  due  quantity 
of  Indian  meal  or  ground  peas,  a  dozen  of  tallow 
candles  melted,  and  two  or  three  pounds  of  fat 
pork" — all  well  boiled  together.     "  It  would   be  a 


' 


Venerable  Mary  Guyard. 


283 


,t 


pity, '  writes  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation,  "to 
deprive  these  poor  people  of  such  a  feast,  since  it 
requires  no  more  to  content  even  their  sachems 
and  war-chiefs." 

Mother  Mary's  first  Huron  pupil  was  the  niece  of 
a  famous  war-chief,  who  brought  his  little  Teresa  to 
be  trained  in  the  '*  House  of  Jesus, '  as  the  Indians 
called  the  convent.  She  was  a  very  gifted  girl,  and 
her  progress  in  virtue  and  knowledge  was  remarkable. 
When  battle-scarred  warriors  came  down  from  the 
Huron  country,  they  heard  her  with  astonishment. 
"Teresa  has  more  sense,"  said  a  veteran  of  the 
wilderness,  "  than  any  one  who  has  ever  appeared  ii> 
our  country.  Her  teacher  must  be  the  greatesr 
genius  among  the  French." 

Teresa  studied  at  the  convent  for  two  years,  and 
many  a  tear  rolled  down  her  dusky  cheeks  on  the 
day  of  departure.  From  Three  Rivery  she  wrote  to 
Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation  : 

"  My  Dear  Mother,— 

"  I  am  going  to  rny  distant  home. 
We  are  ready  to  start .  I  thank  you  for  all  the  care 
you  have  bestowed  upon  me.  I  thank  you  for  having 
taught  me  to  serve  God.  Is  it  for  a  thing  of  small 
value  that  I  offer  you  my  thanks?  Never  shall  I  for- 
get you.  Tkresa." 

The  educational  programme  of  this  pioneer  female 
academy  of  Canada  was  most  sensible,  practical,  md 


284 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  A  merica. 


% 


!i:; 


?!■ 


Christian.  It  was  in  the  seventeenth  century,  we 
must  remember,  and  there  were  fewer  subjects  taught 
than  at  present.  But  what  was  done,  was  done 
thoroughly.  The  pupils  were  taught  reading,  gram- 
mar, the  Christian  Religion,  sacred  History,  practical 
arithmetic,  penmanship,  and  needlework.  We  hear 
no  mention  of  a  piano,  and  the  formidable  *ologics 
were  omitted  ;  but  it  remained  for  our  day  to  try 
the  ridiculous  experiment  of  studying  everything — 
a  sure  road  to  the  mastery  of  nothing.' 

The  Ursulines  entered  their  new  convent  in  1642  ; 
but  eight  years  later  it  was  wholly  destroyed  by  fire. 
Then  Venerable  Mother  Mary's  energy  and  Madam 
de  la  Peltrie's  purse  were  taxed  to  the  utmost.  A 
new  and  more  substantial  residence  was  the  result. 
It  stands  to  this  day. 

After  thirty-three  years  of  ceaseless  toil  at  Quebec, 
the  life  of  the  Venerable  Mother  Mary  drew  to  a 
close.  Her  sorrowing  daughters  asked  her  to  pray 
that  such  a  precious  life  might  be  prolonged.  Nor 
did  she  refuse.  "My  God,"  she  exclaimed  in  feeble 
accents,  "  if  I  can  yet  be  of  service  to  this  little 
community,  I  refuse  neither  labor  nor  fatigue.  Thy 
will  be  done." 

"No,  my  good  Mother,"  urged  her  confessor. 
Father  Lallement,  S.  J.,  "  you  must  join  our  petitions 
and  ask  to  recover."  The  saintly  lady  did  as  com- 
manded ;  but   in  a   few  weeks  more  the  last  Sacra^ 


>  Livti  of  the  Catholic  Heroes  and  Heroines. 


iij 


Venerable  Mary  Guyard. 


28$ 


ments  were  administered,  and  Mother  Mary  of  the 
Incarnation  died  on  the  30th  of  April,  1672,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  years. 

This  pioneer  educator  of  Canadian  women  was,  to 
the  last  day  of  her  beautiful  life,  the  great  teacher, 
guide,  model,  and  mother  of  her  community.  She 
had  rare  executive  ability.  Nothing  escaped  her 
attention  ;  and  her  capacity  for  labor  seemed  limit- 
less. She  wrote  a  prodigious  number  of  letters,  and 
everything  from  her  pen  is  marked  by  beauty  of 
style  and  solidity  of  judgment.  She  prepared  for 
the  use  of  her  nuns  and  pupils  a  sacred  history, 
catechism,  dictionary,  and  collection  of  prayers  in 
Algonquin  ,  a  catechism  and  dictionary  in  Iroquois  ; 
a  catechism  in  Huron  ;  and  several  works  in  French. 
She  excelled  in  all  kinds  of  needlework  and  em- 
broidery, as  well  as  in  gilding  and  painting.  She 
sanctified  those  accomplishments  by  contributing  the 
fruit  of  her  own  hands  to  the  decoration  of  chapels, 
churches,  and  altars,  in  every  part  of  the  country. 
She  even  possessed  remarkable  skill  m  sculpture  and 
architecture  ;  but  what  crowned  all  those  gilts  with 
glory,  was  the  heroic  practice  ot  virtue  on  which 
the  Catholic  Church  placed  her  unerring  seal  of 
approval  by  declaring  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incar 
nation  Venerable^  on  the  15th  of  September,  1877. 


286 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


v\ 


m 


it ': 


W' 


JANE  MANCE, 

fOUNDRESS  OF  THE  Ho  TEL  DIEU,  MONTRItAL, 
Died  A.  D.   1673. 

|ANE  MANCE,  the  noble  woman  who  gave 
Montreal  its  first  hospital,  was  born,  in  1606, 
of  a  distinguished  family  \\\  France.  While  a 
mere  child,  she  made  a  vow  of  chastity.  An  excellent 
education  served  to  develop  natural  gifts  of  the  first 
order,  and  she  became  a  refined,  graceful,  and  ac- 
complished lady. 

On  the  death  of  her  parents,  Miss  Mance  decided 
to  devote  her  life  to  the  service  of  God  and  His 
creatures  in  the  wilderness  of  Canada.  She  was 
among  the  band  of  pious  colonists  that  sailed  with 
the  knightly  De  Maisonneuve  to  found  a  town  in 
honor  of  the  Most  Holy  Virgin  on  the  Island  of 
Montreal. 

Madam  de  la  Peltrie  accompanied  the  pioneers 
from  Quebec,  and  aided  Miss  Mance  to  decorate 
the  first  altar  at  Montreal  on  the  i/th  of  May,  1642. 
It  was  the  birthday  of  a  great  city. 

Miss  Mance,  with  the  money  furnished  by  a 
wealthy  and  charitable  lady,  built  a  hospital,  which 


i:. 


Jant,  Mance. 


287 


iihc  managed  herself.  As  the  town  grew,  and  the 
bloodthirsty  Iroquois  began  to  prowl  around,  so 
did  the  work  increase.  But  for  seventeen  years  this 
heroic  lady  bore  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day, 
and  with  the  aid  of  four  or  five  charitable  women, 
daily  met  the  countless  and  repulsive  duties  of  her 
little  Hotel  Dieu.  A  fall  on  the  ice,  however,  in 
the  winter  of  1657,  so  injured  her  right  arm,  that  it 
began  to  wither  away ;  but  on  a  visit  to  France  she 
applied  a  relic  of  Olicr  to  the  shrivelled  limb,  and 
from  that  hour  its  health   and  vigor  were  restored. 

It  was  during  this  visit  to  her  native  land,  that 
Miss  Mance  secured  the  services  of  three  Hospital 
Nuns  of  St.  Joseph'  for  the  Hotel  Dieu  at  Mon- 
treal— then  a  little  place  consisting  of  a  rude  fort 
and  about  forty  houses.  The  good  lady  and  her 
religious  friends  were  warmly  welcomed,  but  their 
quarters  were  anything  but  corrifortable. 

The  chamber  of  the  nuns,  "which  they  occupied 
for  many  years,  being  hastily  built  of  ill-seasoned 
planks,  let  in  the  piercing  cold  of  the  Canadian ' 
winter  though  countless  cracks  and  chinks  ;  and  the 
driving  snow  sifted  through  in  such  quantities  that 
they  were  sometimes  obliged,  the  morning  after  a 
storm,  to  remove  it  with  shovels.  Their  food  would 
freeze  on  the  table  before  them,  and  their  coarse 
brown  bread  had  to  be  thawed  on  the  hearth  before 
'thcv  could  cut  it." 


•  Sisters  Judith  ile  Brcsoles,  Catherine  Mac^,  ami  Mary  Ma.illet. 


I: 


288 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  America, 


But  toil,  cold,  hardship,  and  poverty  were  not  the 
only  difficulties  to  be  encountered  b)-  Miss  Mance 
and  her  nuns.  There  was  another  enemy  seldom 
absent — the  terrible  Iroquois. 

"  More  than  once,"  writes  the  author  of  the  Old 
Regime  in  Canada^  '  one  of  these  jiiowling  savages 
was  known  to  have  crouched  all  night  in  a  rank 
growth  of  wild  mustard  in  the  garden  of  the  nuns, 
vainly  hoping  that  one  of  them  would  come  out 
within  reach  of  his  tomahawk.  During  summer, 
a  month  rarely  passed  without  a  fight,  iometimes 
A'ithin  sight  of  their  windows. 

"A  burst  of  yells  from  the  ambushed  marksmen, 
lollowed  bv  a  clatter  of  musketr\',  would  announce 
*he  opening  of  the  fray,  and  promise  the  nuns  an 
■addition  to  their  list  of  patients.  On  these  occa- 
sions they  bore  themselves  according  to  their  several 
natures.  Sister  Morin,  who  had  joined  their  number 
three  years  after  their  arrival,  relates  that  Sister 
Brdsoles  and  she  used  to  run  to  the  belfry  and  ring 
the  tocsin  to  call  theinhabitants  together." 

*'  From  our  high  station,"  she  writes,  "  we  could 
sometimes  see  the  combat,  which  terrified  us  ex- 
tremely, so  that  wc  came  down  again  as  soon  as  we 
could,  trembling  with  fright,  and  thinking  that  our 
last  hour  was  come.  When  the  toscin  sounded, 
Sister  Maillet  would  become  faint  with  excess  of 
fear;  and  Sister  Mace,  as  long  as  the  alarm  cc  n-« 
tinned,  would  remain  speechless,  in  a  state  pitiable 


Ml 


Jane  Mance. 


289 


to  see.  They  would  both  gel  into  a  corner  of  the 
rood-loft  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  so  as  to  be 
prepared  for  death ,  or  else  go  into  their  cells. 

"As  soon  as  I  heard  that  the  Iroquois  were  gone, 
I  went  to  tell  them,  which  comforted  tl.em,  and 
seemed  to  restore  them  to  life.  Sister  Brdsoles  was 
stronger  and  more  courageous;  her  terror,  which 
she  could  not  help,  did  not  prevent  her  from  at- 
tending the  sick,  and  receiving  the  dead  and 
wounded  who  were  brought  in." 

Miss  Mance  toiled  at  Montreal  for  thirty-one  years 
to  establish  the  Hotel  Dieu  on  a  firm  foundation  ; 
and  passed  to  a  better  world  in  June,  1673,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-seven,  leaving  behind  the  golden  record  of  a 
beautiful  life.  She  was  a  holy  heroine — a  glorious 
Catholic  Pioneer. 


re 
11* 


:■  II!' 

I    ■  '* 


■, 


290  T/te  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


PAUL  C.  DE  MAISONNEUVE.' 

THE  FCUNDliR  OF  MONTREAL. 
Died  A.   I).    1676. 

|HILE  Champlain    was    laying   the    corner- 
stone of  a  nation  in  the  wilderness  watered 
by  the  St.  Lawrence,  Paul  de  Maisonneuve 
was  born  in  France. 

He  entered  the  army  at  the  age  of  thirteen ;  and 
in  a  time  of  libertinism  and  heresy,  kept  his  brave 
heart  pure  and  his  Catholic  faith  intact.  Years 
rolled  on.  The  young  soldier  distinguislied  himself 
on  many  a  hard-contested  field ;  and  after  long 
pondering  the  matter,  he  made  up  his  mind  to 
serve  God  in  his  profession  by  consecrating  his 
sword  to  the  Church  i  1  some  religious  enterprise. 

Nor  was  the  oppr  .tunity  long  wanting.  An  as 
sociation  of  pious  persons  in  France  had  purchased 
the  Island  of  Mon  real,  where  it  was  their  design  to 
build  a  town  wb  ch  should  be  at  once  a  home  for 
the  missions,  a  aefence  against  the  Iroquois,  a  cen. 
tre  of  commerce  for  the  future  colonists,  and  which 
should  be  dedicated  to  the  Most  Holy  Virgin  under 
the  name  of  Ville  Marie,  or  the  town  of  Mary. 

'  The  full  name  was  Paul  de  Chomedey,  Sieur  de  Maisonneuve, 


if 


Paul  C.  De  Maisounfuve, 


29  T 


A  wise  and  valiant  leader  was  wanted  for  this  un- 
dertaking. One  of  the  associates  heard  of  De  Mai- 
sonneuve,  and  sought  an  interview.  He  was  de- 
lighted. He  had  found  the  rare  man  destined  by 
I'rovidence  for  the  achievement  of  such  a  great 
work.  "  I  have  no  interested  motives,"  said  De 
Maisonneuve  at  the  close  of  the  conversation,  *'  my 
income  is  sufficient  for  all  my  wants  ;  and  I  would^ 
gladly  devote  my  purse  and  life  to  this  noble  enter- 
prise.'  He  was  appointed  Governor  of  Montreal, 
anil  the  expedition  was  soon  on  its  way  across  the 

Atlantic. 

In  the  fall  of  1641,  De  Maisonneuve,  forty  men. 
Miss  Mance,  and  a  few  women,  sailed  into  the  harbor 
of  Quebec.  It  was  too  late  in  the  season,  however, 
to  ascend  the  river,  and  the  party  wintered  as  well 
as  they  could  at  the  poor  little  capital.  Governor 
Montmagny  tri^d  to  persuade  De  Maisonneuve  not 
to  proceed  to  Montreal  ;  but  rather  to  fix  his  colony 
in  the  Island  of  Orleans,  near  Quebec,  where  there 
would  be  less  danger  from  the  hostile  savages.  *'  1 
have  not  come  here,"  said  the  brave  leader,  •'  to  de- 
liberate, but  to  act.  It  is  my  duty  and  my  honor 
to  found  a  colony  at  Montreal ;  and  I  would  go,  if 
every  tree  were  an  Iroquois!" 

On  the  1 8th  of  May,  1642,  four  boats  approached 
the  Island  of  Montreal.  It  was  Maisonneuve  and 
his  hardy  colonists.  The  commander  sprang  ashore, 
fell  on  his  knees,  and  all  followed.     An  altar  was 


2g2 


Tlic  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


erected,  and  decorated  by  Miss  Mance  and  Madam 
de  la  Peltrie.  Mass  was  celebrated  by  Father  Vi- 
mont,  S.  J.,  and  at  its  close,  he  said  to  the  devout 
little  congregation  that  knelt  around : 

"You  are  a  grain  of  mustard-seed,  that  shall  rise 
and  grow  till  its  branches  overshadow  the  earth. 
You  are  few,  but  your  work  is  the  work  of  God. 
His  smile  is  on  you,  and  your  children  shall  fill  the 
land." 

It  was  the  birthday  of  Ville  Marie,  or  Montreal. 
The  terse  words  of  the  Jesuit  were  prophetic.  De 
Mdisonneuve  cut  down  the  first  tree.  A  clearing 
was  made.  Rude  habitations  arose,  and  the  colony 
began  to  take  root.  The  first  enemy  that  appeared 
was  an  inundation.  Winter  had  scarcely  set  in 
when  the  St.  Lawrence  arose,  and  threatened  to 
drown  the  settlement.  De  Maisonneuve,  pious  as 
he  was  brave,  placed  a  cross  in  front  of  the  ap- 
proaching flood,  and  vowed  to  carry  a  large  cross 
on  his  shoulders  to  the  top  of  Mont  Royal,  and 
erect  it  on  the  summit,  if  the  waters  would  subside. 
His  prayer  was  heard,  and  his  vow  carefully  fulfilled. 
On  the  6th  of  January,  1643,  a  large  cross  could  be 
seen  on  the  mountain-top,  where,  for  years  after,  the 
sacred  symbol  "  reniained  an  object  of  pilgrimage  to 
the  pious  colonists  of  Ville  Marie." 

Under  the  wise  guidance  of  Governor  De  Maison- 
neuve,  the  town  grew  and  prospered.  Religion 
flourished,  and    even   the    garrison   was   noted    for 


Paul  C.  De  MaisoHueuve. 


293 


piety.  From  among  his  best  soldiers,  De  Maison- 
ncuve  chose  a  band  of  sixty-three  volunteers,  a4fi 
specially  vowed  to  defend  the  Town  of  Mary.  This 
number  was  suggested  by  the  years  which  the  Holy 
Virgin  lived  on  earth ;  and  those  hardy  veterans,  in 
the  spirit  of  crusaders,  formed  in  the  forests  of 
Canada  a  kind  of  military  confraternity.  They  said 
the  beads  every  day,  wore  the  medal  of  their  order 
as  a  decoration,  and  often  approached  the  sacra- 
ments. 

The  soldiers,  and  every  one  else,  had  plenty  to  do 
as  soon  as  the  Iroquois  discovered  the  settlement. 
Numbers  of  those  lynx-eyed  savages  would  hang 
around  the  neighboring  forests,  skulking  behind 
trees  or  logs ;  and  the  heedless  colonist  often  paid 
the  penalty  of  negligence  with  his  life  and  scalp.  A 
number  of  trained  dogs — and  among  them  one 
named  Pilot — proved  very  useful  as  sentinels.  The 
following  vivid  pen-picture  is  descriptive  of  a  charac- 
teristic event  in  the  every-day  life  of  the  heroic 
founder  of  Montreal. 

"  De  Maisonneuve,"  writes  the  non-Catholic  author 
of  The  Jesuits  in  North  Ajueriea,  "was  as  brave  a 
knight  of  the  Cross  as  ever  fought  in  Palestine  for 
the  sepulchre  of  Christ ;  but  he  could  temper  his 
valor  with  discretion.  He  knew  that  he  and  his 
soldiers  were  but  indifferent  woodsmen  ;  that  their 
crafty  foe  had  no  equal  in  ambuscades  and  surprises  ; 
and  that,  while  a  defeat  might  ruin  the  French,  it 


Jl.l:   ,. 


294 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


lilpft 


would  only  exasperate  an  enemy  whose  resources 
in  men  were  incomparably  greater.  Therefore,  when 
the  dogs  sounded  the  alarm,  he  kept  his  followers 
close,  and  stood  patiently  on  the  defensive.  They 
chafed  under  this  Fabian  policy,  and  at  length  im- 
puted it  to  cowardice.  Their  murmurings  grew 
louder,  till  they  reached  the  ear  of  De  Maisonneuve. 

*'The  religion  which  animated  him  had  not  de- 
stroyed the  soldierly  pride  which  takes  root  so  readily 
and  so  strongly  in  a  manly  nature ;  and  an  imputa- 
tion of  cowardice  from  his  own  soldiers  stung  him  to 
the  quick.  He  saw,  too,  that  such  an  opinion  of  him 
must  needs  weaken  his  authority,  and  impair  the 
discipline  essential  to  the  safety  of  the  colony. 

**  On  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  March,  1644,  Pilot 
was  heard  barking  with  unusual  fury  in  the  forest 
eastward  from  the  fort ;  and  in  a  few  moments  they 
saw  her  running  over  the  clearing,  where 'the  snow 
was  still  deep,  followed  by  her  brood,  all  giving 
tongue  together.  The  excited  Frenchmen  flocked 
about  their  commander. 

^^  ^  Monsieur,  les  ennemis  sont  dans  le  bois ;  7ie  les 
irons- nous  jamais  voir?* ' 

*'  De  Maisonneuve,  habitually  composed  and  calm, 
answered  sharply — 

"  *  Yes,  you  shall  see  the  enemy.  Get  yourselves 
ready  at  once,  and  take  care  that  you  are  as  brave 
as  you  profess  to  be.     I  shall  lead  you  myself.* 

>  '^  The  enemy  are  in  the  woods,  sir;  are  we  never  going  to  see  them?** 


Paul  C.  Dc  MaisoHHcuvc. 


295 


''All  was  bustle  in  the  fort.  Guns  were  loaded, 
pouches  filled,  and  snow-shoes  tied  on  by  those  who 
had  them  and  knew  how  to  use  them.  There  were 
not  enough,  however,  and  many  were  forced  to  go 
without  them.  When  all  was  ready,  De  Maison- 
neuve  sallied  forth  at  the  head  of  thirty  men,  leaving 
D'Ailleboust,  with  the  remainder,  to  hold  the  fort. 
They  crossed  the  snow  clearing  and  entered  the 
forest,  where  all  was  silent  as  the  grave.  They 
pushed  on,  wading  through  the  deep  snow,  with  the 
countless  pitfalls  hidden  beneath  it,  when  suddenly 
they  were  greeted  with  the  screeches  of  eighty 
Iroquois,  who  sprang  up  from  their  lurking-places, 
and  showered  bullets  and  arrows  upon  the  advancing 
French. 

*'  The  emergency  called,  not  for  chivalry,  but  for 
wood-craft;  and  De  Maisonneuve  ordered  his  men 
to  take  shelter,  like  their  assailants,  behind  trees. 
They  stood  their  ground  resolutely  for  a  long  time; 
but  the  Iroquois  pressed  them  close,  three  of  their 
number  were  killed,  others  were  wounded,  and  their 
ammunition  began  to  fail.  Their  only  alternatives 
were  destruction  or  retreat ;  and  to  retreat  v.as  not 
easy.  The  order  was  given.  Though  steady  at  first, 
the  men  soon  became  confused,  and  over-eager  to 
escape  the  galling  fire  which  the  Iroquois  sent  after 
them. 

"  De  Maisonneuve  directed  them  towards  a  sledge- 
track,  which  had  been  used  in  dragging  timber  for 


296 


Tlic  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


building  the  hospital,  and  where  the  snow  was  firm 
beneath  the  foot.  He  himself  remained  to  the  last, 
encouraging  his  followers  and  aiding  the  wounded 
to  escape.  The  French,  as  they  struggled  through 
the  snow,  faced  about  from  time  to  time,  and  fired 
back  to  check  the  pursuit ;  but  no  sooner  had  they 
reached  the  sledge-track  than  they  gave  way  to  their 
terror,  and  ran  in  a  body  for  the  fort.  Those  within, 
seeing  this  confused  rush  of  men  from  the  distance, 
mistook  them  for  the  enemy;  and  an  over-zealous 
soldier  touched  the  match  to  a  cannon  which  had 
been  pointed  to  rake  the  sledge-track.  Had  not  the 
piece  missed  fire,  from  dampness  of  the  priming,  hi. 
would  have  done  more  execution  at  one  shot  thar 
the  Iroquois  in  all  the  fight  of  that  morning. 

**  De  Maisonneuve  was  left  alone,  retreating  back- 
wards down  the  track,  and  holding  his  pursuers  in 
check,  with  a  pistol  in  each  hand.  They  might  easily 
have  shot  him;  but,  recognizing  him  as  thecommander 
of  the  French,  they  were  bent  on  taking  him  alive. 
Their  chief  coveted  this  honor  for  himself,  and  his 
followers  held  aloof  to  give  him  the  opportunity. 
He  pressed  close  upon  De  Maisonneuve,  who  snapped 
a  pistol  at  him,  which  missed  fire.  The  Iroquois,  who 
had  ducked  to  avoid  the  shot,  rose  erect,  and  sprang 
forward  to  seize  him,  when  De  Maisonneuve  with 
his  remaining  pistol  shot  him  dead.  Then  ensued 
a  curious  spectacle,  not  infrequent  in  Indian  battles. 
The  Iroquois  seemed  to  forget  their  enemy,  in  their 


'» 


Paul  C.  Dc  Maisonmuve. 


297 


/t 


anxiety  to  secure  .ind  carry  off  the  body  of  their 
chief  ;  and  the  French  commander  continued  his 
retreat  unmolested,  till  he  was  safe  under  the  cannon 
of  the  fort.  From  that  day  he  was  a  hero  in  the 
eyes  of  his  men."  ' 

De  Maisonneuvewent  to  France  in  1652  to  further 
the  interests  of  the  colony,  and  returned  with  a  body 
of  settlers,  and  the  heroic  Margaret  Bourgeois,  the 
future  foundress  of  the  Congregation  de  Notre 
Dame.  When  the  Priests  of  St.  Sulpice  became  tiie 
proprietors  of  the  !  'and  of  Montreal,  he  retained 
his  oflfice  of  governor,  and  his  rare  merits  were  fitly 
recognized.  In  1665,  however,  to  the  intense  grief 
of  all  at  Ville  Marie,  De  Maisonneuve  was  unjustly 
removed  and  sent  to  France  by  the  Marquis  de 
Tracy,  the  Governor  General.  It  was  a  base  trick 
of  politics,  but  De  Maisonneuve  bore  the  affront 
with  the  patience  and  humility  of  a  true  Christian. 
He  died  piously  at  Paris  on  the  9th  of  September, 
1676. 

This  intrepid  Catholic  Pioneer,  whose  manly 
figure  is  one  of  the  grandest  in  the  history  of  tl*e 
New  World,  spent  twenty-two  years  in  laying  the 
foundation  and  guarding  the  infancy  of  what  is  now 
the  commercial  metropolis  of  Canada.  To  the  valor 
of  a  soldier  he  joined  the  fervent  zeal  of  a  mission- 
ary.     He   had   the  spirit  of   Godfrey  de    Bouillon. 


>  It  is  the  opinion  of  tlie  learned  AbM  Faillon,  that  this  exploit  was  aihieved 
00  the  spot  where  the  great  Church  of  Nutrc  Dai:ic  now  stands. 


TWTT 


298 


TAe  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


He  was  the  soul  of  pure  disinterestedness,  and  so 
little  did  lie  love  the  world  aiid  its  ways,  that,  soon 
after  his  arrival  on  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
he  made  a  vow  of  perpetual  chastity. 

'■  How  shall  we  rank  thee  upon  glory's  page, 
Thou  more  than  soldier  and  not  less  than  sage  ?" 

"  Quebec  and  Montreal,"  writes  the  historian 
Parkman,  "are  happy  in  their  founders.  Samuel 
de  Champlain  and  Chomedey  de  Maisonneuve  are 
among  the  names  that  shine  with  a  fair  and  honest 
lustre  on  the  infancy  of  nations.'* 


VENERABLE  MARGARET  BOURGEOIS, 

FOUNDRESS  OF  THE  SISTEKS  OF  THE  CONGREGA  TION  OF  OUR 

LADV. 


Died  A.  D.  1 700. 

THE  bright  name  of  Margaret  Bourgeois  shines 
among  the  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America  in 
the  seventeenth  century  ;  and  her  holy  and  useful 
influence  has  been  felt  in  the  New  World  for  over 
two  hundred  years. 

•bf^  was  born  at  Troyes,  France,  on  Good  Friday, 

l^.      17th  of  April,  1620.     Her  parents  were  in  re- 

;  •  ;   ble  circumstances,  and  were  noted  for  virtue 


I 


Ich: 


Venerable  Margaret  Bourgeois. 


299 


R 


and  good  sense.  While  yet  a  child,  she  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  her  mother.  Margaret  was  dis- 
tinguished among  her  little  companions  by  a  love  of 
labor,  pious  dispositions,  quickness  in  learning  to 
read  and  write,  and  a  singular  maturity  of  judgment. 

At  an  early  age  she  exhibited  marked  traits  of 
character.  Even  in  her  tenth  year,  though  she  had 
never  seen  a  religious  community,  the  dear  little 
girl  was  often  observed  assembling  children,  and  in- 
stilling into  their  infant  minds  a  sense  of  duty. 
When  somewhat  older,  her  worthy  father  placed 
her  at  the  head  of  his  household. 

It  was,  however,  when  she  reached  womanhood 
that  Miss  Bourgois  made  rapid  progress  in  the  path 
of  religious  perfection.  In  Father  Jandret,  a  learned 
and  virtuous  priest,  she  found  a  wise  director.  She 
wished  to  consecrate  herself  to  God  by  a  vow  of 
virginity.  This  her  confessor  forbade  her  to  do  be- 
fore the  age  of  thirty  ;  but,  admiring  her  wonderful 
virtue,  he,  after  a  time,  permitted  her  to  pronounce 
this  sacred  vow  in  her  twenty-third  year.  About 
this  period,  Father  Jandret  was  engaged  in  forming 
tlie  plan  of  a  new  religious  community,  which,  after 
the  example  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  would  unite  in 
their  lives  the  active  and  contemplative  virtues. 

The  rule  was  given  to  Miss  Bourgeois  and  two 
other,  young  ladies  to  be  observed ;  and  the  three 
novices  for  that  purpose  retired  to  a  spacious  apart- 
ment given  them  by  a  sister  of  De  Maisonneuv^, 


I-     ^    i 


300  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 

that  gallant  gentleman  being  then  Governor  of 
Montreal,  in  Canada.  One  of  the  iadies  died,  a 
second  withdrew,  and  finally  Father  Jandret  gave  up 
the  design  as  a  fruitless  attempt.  But,  from  this 
short  experience.  Sister  Bourgeois  derived  lasting 
advantages.  The  unsuccessful  efforts  she  made  at 
that  time,  under  the  directions  of  an  enlightened 
priest,  served  as  a  rule  to  guide  her  in  the  great 
work  she  was  one  day  to  accomplish  in  the  wilds  of 
Canada,  on  the  banks  of  the  majestic  St.  Lawrence. 

Several  singular  circumstances  convinced  Sister 
Bourgeois  that  it  was  the  will  of  her  Almighty 
Master  to  begin  her  labors  in  the  New  World,  and 
Without  delay  she  presented  herself  to  De  Maison- 
neuve,  who  was  then  on  a  visit  to  his  friends  at 
Froyes,  offering  to  pass  under  his  protection  to  the 
Canadian  forests.  But  she  was  alone,  guided  by 
naught  save  the  bright  star  of  confidence  in  God. 

Father  Jandret  warmly  approved  her  design,  and 
gave  her  his  blessing.  Yet  some  questioned  the 
prudence  of  the  undertaking.  In  her  own  mind 
difficulties  arose.  Her  modesty  and  Christian  pru- 
dence became  alarmed.  While  thus  in  suspense,  a 
vision  appeared  to  her  one  morning  while  alone.  A 
beautiful  lady  stood  before  her  and  said,  *' Go,  I  will 
never  forsake  you,"  instantly  disappearing.  It  was 
a  visit  from  the  Blessed  Virgin  herself.  The  courage- 
ous woman  felt  strengthened  and  comforted. 

In  her   thirty-third   year.    Sister   Bourgeois  dis- 


Venvrahh'  Margaret  Bourgeois. 


301 


tributcd  all  her  possessions  in  alms,  and  under  the 
guidance  and  protection  of  Governor  De  Maisoii- 
neuve  she  sailed  for  Canada.  In  the  fall  of  1653, 
she  set  her  foot  for  the  first  time  on  the  banks  of 
the  St,  Lawrence.  The  Island  of  Montreal  u  as  then 
nothing  more  than  a  picturesque  wilderness,  the  site 
of  one  little  struggling  outpost  of  civilization,  whose 
exposed  inhabitants  ran  nightly  risk  of  being  scalped 
by  prowling  parties  of  hostile  Mohawks.  There  was 
not  even  a  chapel  in  which  to  celebrate  Mass.  A 
rude  tent  was  the  only  temple  of  God,  and  a  gigantic 
tree  of  the  forest  the  only  steeple. 

Sister  Bourgeois  now  began  the  work  of  her  sub- 
lime mission.  With  equal  care  and  charity  she  in- 
structed the  little  Indians  and  the  children  of  the 
settlers;  she  watched  and  served  the  sick;  and  even 
the  dead  received  from  her  benevolent  hands  the 
last  sad  services.  The  benefactress  of  the  poor 
soldier,  she  washed  and  mended  his  garments.  Her 
zeal,  like  the  sphere  of  her  usefulness,  was  boundless. 
Thus  did  this  heroic  lady  spend  her  first  five  years 
in  Montreal.  But  she  was  alone  as  a  teacher — all 
alone  in  her  labors. 

It  was  now  that  she  formed  the  idea  of  establish 
ing  a  community  of  Sisters.  In  search  of  youthful 
and  devoted  hearts  to  share  her  holy  toils,  she  made 
a  voyage  to  her  native  France.  She  was  successful, 
and  on  her  return  brought  four  young  ladies.  In  a 
Stable  she  opened  her  new  community,  givinr  it  the 


ifTT 


'  i:  > 


302 


/7u'  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  America. 


name  of  Congregation  de  Notre  Dame.^  For  the 
more  permanent  establishment  of  her  Institution, 
Mothei  Bourgeois  received  letters  patent  from 
Louis  XIV.,  and  the  necessary  confirmation  from 
Bishop  T.aval  of  Quebec.  To  her  religious  daugh- 
ters she  proposed  two  chief  objects: 

(i)  Their  own  sanctification. 

(2)  That  of  their  neighbor.  Her  Sisterhood  is  en- 
tirely devoted  to  female  instruction.  This  was,  I 
believe,  the  first  religious  society  founded  in  the 
New  World. 

When  it  was  firmly  established,  Sister  Bourgeois 
resigned  the  position  of  Superioress,  and  the  re- 
maining seven  years  of  her  life  were  spent  in  special 
preparation  for  death.  On  the  last  night  of  1699, 
one  of  the  Sisters  fell  dangerously  ill.  No  sooner 
'jvas  the  saintly  foundress  informed  of  it  than  she 
exclaimed :  "  My  God !  accept  the  sacrifice  of  my 
life  rather  than  deprive  the  community  of  that  dear 
and  excellent  child." 

Her  prayer  was  instantly  heard.  The  sick  religious 
got  well,  and  Sister  Bourgeois  was  seized  with  the 
same  mortal  disease.  With  a  holy  joy  she  bore  her 
sufferings  for  twelve  days,  and  on  the  f2th  of 
Janua'ry,  1700,  expired  in  her  eightieth  year.  Thus 
died,  amid  the  scene  of  her  toils,  the  famous  and 
saintly  Margaret  Bourgeois,  one  of  the  immortal 
women  of  America. 


•  Congregation  of  Onr  Lady. 


Venerable  Margaret  Bourgeois, 


303 


Her  virtues  were  of  the  most  heroic  cast.  On  one 
occasion,  learning  that  a  poor  soldier  had  no  bed, 
she  sent  her  own  to  him.  His  fellow-inarms  came 
to  ask  her  aid.  She  gave  him  the  blankets.  On 
another  occasion,  for  the  purpose  of  opening  a  school 
for  poor  children,  she  walked  on  foot  amid  snow 
and  ice  from  Montreal  to  Quebec,  a  distance  of  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  miles.  She  always  lay  on 
a  bed  of  straw,  and  a  piece  of  wood  served  for  her 
pillow.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  Catholic  Church 
declared  Margaret  Bourgeois  Venerable  in  1879? 

•'Her  portrait,"  writes  Francis  Parkman,  "has 
come  down  to  us,  and  her  face  is  a  mirror  of  frank- 
ness, loyalty,  and  womanly  tenderness.  Her  qualities 
were  those  of  good  sense,  conscientiousness,  and  a 
warm  heart.  To  this  day,  in  the  crowded  school- 
rooms of  Montreal  and  Quebec,  fit  monuments  of 
her  unobtrusive  virtues,  her  successors  instruct  the 
children  of  the  poor,  and  embalm  the  beautiful 
memory  of  Margaret  Bourgeois." 


■m 


u    ■ 


304 


'r/te  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America^ 


u  * 


FRANCIS  XAVIER  DE  LAVAL,  D.  D., 

URST  HI  SHOP  OF  QVEniiC. 
Dial  A.   />.  I7()S 

RANCIS  XAVIER  DE  LAVAL/ a  member 
of  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  noble  houses 
in  Europe,  was  born  at  Laval,  France,  on 
tlic  30th  of  April,  1623.  He  was  educated  by  the 
Jesuit  Fathers,  and  after  liis  elevation  to  the  priest- 
hood, he  spent  years  in  study,  prayer,  the  practice 
of  virtue,  and  the  instruction  of  the  poor. 

Just  half  a  century  after  Cliamplain  had  founded 
Quebec,  Bishop  Laval  was  a])pointcd  Vicar-Apostolic 
of  Canada.  He  landed  at  Quebec  on  the  i6th  of 
June,  1659.  The  little  town  exhibited  great  joy. 
The  French  and  the  Indians  vied  with  each  other  in 
showing  respect  to  the  illustrious  newromer.  The 
Kurons  called  him  Hariivawagni,  or  •'  the  man  of 
great  affairs 

For  some  time  Bishop  Laval  was  obliged  to  lodge 
in  the  class  rooms  of  Madam  de  la  Peltrie's  house. 
"  He  is  a  man,"  writes  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarna- 
tion, *'  of  superior   merit   and   singular  virtue,  and 


OUcn  written  Laval  Montmorency. 


Framis  XavUr  De  Laval,  D.  I). 


3f^5 


possesses  abilities  of  the  highest  order.  He  is 
above  human  re  i-ect.  zealous  for  the  spread  of 
religion,  and  for  every  good  work.  All  admire  his 
exemplary  life — in  short,  he  is  a  man  chosen  b)- 
Heaven,  an  apostle  worthy  of  all  possible  considera- 
tion. We  shall  certainly  be  incommoded  to  find 
place  in  our  class  rooms  for  the  pupils,  but  we  shall 
gladly  suffer  the  inconvenience  on  such  an  occasion. 
He  will  have  the  enjoyment  of  a  fine  garden." 

The  period  of  Bishop  Laval's  rule  was  long  and 
full  of  troubles.  The  Iroquois,  on  the  look-out  for 
scalps,  were  not  the  only  source  of  annoyance.  The 
first  difficulty  was  to  establish  his  authority,  which 
was  threatened  by  the  claims  of  the  Archbishop  of 
Routn  and  his  representative  at  Montreal.  When, 
)iovvever,  this  affair  was  settled,  the  suppression  of 
the  scandalous  traffic  in  brandy  called  for  all  his 
zeal,  courage,  and  energy. 

It  was  a  temperance  question  in  the  interest  of 
the  Indians.  "  Their  inordinate  passion  for  brandy 
had  loner  been  the  source  of  excessive  disorders. 
They  drank  expressly  to  get  drunk,  and  when 
drunk  they  were  like  wild  beasts.  Crime  and 
violence  of  all  sorts  ensued  ;  the  priests  saw  their 
teachings  despised  and  their  flocks  ruined." 

Bishop  Laval  excommunicated  all  who  engaged 
in  this  horrid  traffic  ;  but  he  soon  found  himself  in 
collision  with  the  civil  authorities.  Though  hatred 
and  persecution  dogged  his  steps,  he  ceased  not  to 


3o6 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  tnerica. 


m  n\ 


make  war  on  iniquity  •  and  his  struggles  with 
Governors  Avaugour  De  Mezy,  and  Frontenac  will 
ever  be  famous. 

The  See  of  Quebec  was  established  in  1674,  and 
the  apostolic  Laval  was  now  in  title,  as  well  as  in 
fact,  Bishop  of  the  capital  of  Canada.  His  flock 
were  scattered  at  widely-distant  points  in  the  wil- 
derness, which  he  often  visited  in  a  sleigh  or  on 
snow-shoes.  He  established  the  Seminary  of  Que 
bee,  a  normal  school,  a  model  farm,  and  a  school  of 
arts  and  trades,  thus  giv  ing  a  new  and  powerful  im- 
pulse to  the  spiritual  and  temporal  growth  of  the 
roiony. 

The  pioneer  prelate  resigned  his  see  in  1688,  and 
died  at  the  Seminary  of  Quebec  on  the  6th  of  May, 
1708,  at  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-five  years. 

The  venerable  Bishop  Laval  exercised  a  com- 
manding influence  on  the  destinies  of  Canada.  He 
moulded  its  moral  life,  and  gave  a  right  direction 
to  its  Christian  civilization  ;  and  to  this  day  the 
educational  and  religious  institutions  on  the  banks 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  bear  witness  to  his  lofty  lalors. 
He  f'nds  a  worthy  monument  in  that  splendid 
Cathv.  ic  seat  of  learning  at  Quebec — Laval  Univer- 
sity. 


■■\Y:X 


The  LaUioiu  Pioneers  oj  America. 


30; 


THOMAS  DONGANV 


FIRST  C A  TJ/OL/C  COfERNOR  O/'A'EIV  YORK 


1 


•  1 

la 


Vied  A.  D.  1 71 5. 

HE  name  of  Thomas  Dongan  justly  holds  the 
place  of  honor  in  the  list  of  the  colonial  Gov- 
ernors of  New  York.  He  belonged  to  an  an 
cientand  noble  Irish  family,  and  was  born  in  1634,  in 
the  County  of  Kildare,  Irelatid,  His  father  was  Sir 
John  Dongan,  of  Castletown  ;  and  one  of  his  uncles, 
on  the  maternal  side,  was  the  famous  Richard  Tal- 
bot, Earl  of  Tyrconnell,  who  figured  so  conspicu- 
ously in  the  reign  of  James  II.,  and  who,  at  one 
time,  aimed  at  securing  the  complete  independence 
of  Ireland. 

Young  Dongan,  after  receiving  an  excellent  edu- 
cation, and  being  well  grounded  in  the  religion  of 
his  fathers,  embraced  the  profession  of  arms.  He 
entered  the  service  of  France.  By  his  bravery  and 
ability,  he  soon  reached  the  rank  of  Colonel,  and 
commanded  a  rec^iment  under  Louis  XIV. 

In  obedience,  however,  to  a  decree  of  the  English 
Parliament,  Colonel  Dongan   returned  to  his  native 

'  The   Irish  form  of  the   name   is   O  Putt<ii:a/n,  which  has  been   variously 
spelled  in  Engli^th,  Dongan,  Dungan,  and  Doncgan 


^o8 


TJie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Ametirc. 


:M|!i 


■i    ' 


ii! 


country  ;  and  by  Charles  II.  was  appointed  a  general 
officer  in  tlic  English  army,  with  an  annual  pension 
of  ^500,  settled  on  him  for  life. 

At  this  time,  the  American  province  of  New 
York  was  under  the  proprietory  government  of 
James,  Duke  of  York.  But  the  administration  of 
affairs  by  his  deputy  produced  great  discontent  ; 
and  the  Duke  resolved  to  place  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment in  some  wise  and  skilful  hand.  Colonel 
Dongan  was  selected  as  the  new  ruler.  His  commis- 
sion bears  date  of  September  30th,  1682.  By  this 
document  he  was  ordered  to  hold  a  general  assembh', 
which  was  not  to  exceed  eighteen  members,  in  New 
York  City.  Among  other  instructions,  he  was  com- 
manded to  repress  **  drunkenness  and  debauchery, 
swearing  and  blasphemy,"  and  to  appoint  none  to 
office  who  may  be  given  to  such  vices.  He  was  also 
to  encourage  commerce. 

Governor  Dongan  arrived  at  New  York  in  August, 
1683.  His  duties  were  rendered  most  delicate  and 
embarrassing  by  the  previous  bad  government,  and 
by  the  fact  that  he  himself  was  a  professed  and 
zealous  Catholic,  while  the  community  whose  des- 
tinies he  was  commissioned  to  guide  were  almost 
without  exception  Protestants,  and,  at  that  time, 
peculiarly  inclined  to  look  with  distrust  and  hatred 
upon  all  followers  of  the  Ancient  Faith.  But  dif- 
ficulties vanished  before  the  enlightened  policy  and 
winning  manners  of  Governor  Dongan. 


Thomas  Donga  n. 


509 


it- 
nd 


He  first  organized  his  Council,  which  was  com- 
posed of  gentlemen  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  and 
English  Churches.  Catholics,  however,  were  no 
longer  excluded  from  office,  or  from  the  practice  of 
their  religion.  The  Governor  had  a  chapel  in  which 
himself,  his  suite,  his  servants,  and  all  the  Catholics 
of  the  province  could  attend  divine  service.  A 
Jesuit  Father,  who  accompanied  him  from  England, 
was  his  chaplain. 

On  the  17th  of  October,  1683,  Governor  Dongah 
convoked  the  first  General  Assembly  of  New  York  ; 
and  the  first  act  of  that  body  was  a  charter  of 
liberties  declaring  that  "  no  person  or  persons,  who 
profess  faith  in  God  by  Jesus  Christ,  shall  at  any 
time  beany  ways  molested,  punished,  or  disquieted  ; 
but  that  all  and  every  such  person  or  persons  may, 
from  time  to  time,  and  at  all  times,  freely  have  and 
fully  enjoy  his  or  their  judgments  or  consciences  in 
matters  of  religion,  throughout  all  the  province." 

This  was  the  first  memorable  enactment  passed  by 
the  first  Legislative  Assembly,  which  was  presided 
over  by  the  first  Catholic  Governor  of  New  York  ; 
and  that  at  a  time  when  toleration  was  unknown  in 
the  Protestant  colonies — at  a  time  when  a  Catholic 
would  be  hunted  like  a  wild  beast  in  Virginia  or 
Massachusetts  ! 

Besides  this,  wise  laws  were  enacted  for  the  good 
government  of  New  York  City,  then  the  capital  and 
seat  of  government.     On  the  8th  of  December,  i6oj. 


3IO 


TJic  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


%V 


the  City  was  divided  into  six  wards,  each  of  which 
was  entitled  to  elect  an  Alderman  and  a  Council- 
man annually,  to  represent  them  in  the  municipal 
t;overnment.  The  Mayor  was  appointed  by  the 
Governor  and  Common  Council. 

In  1686,  Dongan  received  a  new  commission  from 
James  II..  who  had  recently  ascended  the  English 
throne.  The  Governor,  in  this  year,  signalized  his 
administration  by  granting,  in  the  name  and  by  the 
authority  of  his  sovereign,  the  celebrated  instrument 
known  as  the  Dongan  Charter.  This  document  con- 
stitutes to  this  day  the  basis  and  foundation  of  the 
municipal  laws,  rights,  privileges,  and  franchises  of 
New  York  City.  Albany  also  received  its  first  char- 
ter from  Governor  Dongan. 

The  Governor's  residence  was  at  the  English  fort, 
the  site  of  which  was  near  where  Trinity  Church 
now  stands.  Many  improvements  were  made  in  his 
time.  The  city  wall,  erected  in  1653,  was  removed, 
and  the  city  enlarged.  On  the  site  of  the  old  wall, 
the  Governor  had  a  new  street  laid  out  and  built. 
It  was  fittingly  named  Wall  Street — now  well  known 
as  the  great  financial  centre  of  America. 

In  Indian  affairs  he  took  a  deep  interest.  The 
name  of  "Dongan,  the  white  father,"  was  remem- 
bered in  the  lodges  of  the  Iroquois  long  after  it  had 
grown  indifferent  to  his  countrymen  at  Manhattan. 
Indeed,  his  master-stroke  of  Indian  policy  was  in  gain- 
ing the  alliance  of  the  Five  Nations,  securing  their 


Thomas  Doui^an, 


1 1 


submission  to  the  English  Government  in  preference 
to  that  of  the  French,  and  carrying  our  northern  fron- 
tier to  the  great  lakes. 

The  project  of  colonizing  New  York  State  with 
his  countrymen  from  Ireland,  was  a  favorite  scheme 
with  Governor  Dongan,  but  his  term  of  office  was  too 
brief  to  afford  him  the  pleasure  of  seeing  it  carried 
out.  By  his  vigor  in  the  prosecution  of  various 
excellent  measures,  he  incurred  the  disapprobation 
of  James  II.,  who  relieved  him  from  office  about 
April,  1688.  "  He  fell  into  the  King's  displeasure," 
says  the  historian  Smith,  "through  his  zeal  for  the 
true  interest  of  the  province."  The  King  afterwards 
offered  him  a  commission  as  major-general  in  the 
British  army,  but  he  declined  it. 

Dongan  now  retired  to  his  estate  on  Staten  Island. 
After  the  revolution  in  England,  he  was  daily 
harassed  by  the  religious  bigots  of  the  time.  On 
learning  that  the  New  York  Assembly  of  1691  had 
repealed  his  own  wise  and  liberal  enactments  in 
relation  to  freedom  of  conscience,  and  that  fanatical 
laws  were  passed  again.^t  Catholics,  he  returned  in 
disgust  to  England.  On  the  death  of  his  brother 
in  Ireland,  he  succeeded  to  the  latter's  titles  and 
estates,  which  he  held  for  about  fifteen  years.  He 
was  never  again  in  the  service  of  England.  He 
died  at  London.  The  following  is  the  inscription 
on  his  tomb-stone  in  the  churchyard  of  St.  Pancras, 
Middlesex: 


>?  ^ 


312  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Auurica. 

**  The  Right  Honorable  Thomas  Dongao, 
Earl  of  Limerick, 
Died  Dec.  141I1,  aged  eighty-one  years, 

17x5. 
Requie-iiat  in  pace.     Amen." 

Governor    Dongaii    was    a    man    of    marked    ad- 
ministrative ability,  clear-headed,  \irtuous,  liberal, 
progressive — rare  qualities  in  the   English  colonial 
rulers   of    th  ^'     ^e.     If    to-day  the  State  of    New 
York  is  bou-i      *    ;n  the  north  by  Lake  Ontario  and 
the  River  St.  Lawrence,   it   cannot   be  denied   but 
this  is  due  to  he    <^ri^'  Catholic  Governor.     He  was  a 
soldier  of  unsullied  honor.     He  was  one  of  the  most 
unselfish  of  men.     He  was  liberal  in  an  age  of  in- 
tolerance.    During  his  brief  rule,  a  Catholic  college 
was  opened  in  New  York. 


\\vi4A  ■ 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


313 


SEBASTIAN  RALE,  S.  J., 

THE  MAR  TyU-M/SS/OXA  A'  J '  O/-    THE  A  DNA  KIS. 
Died  A    D.  1724. 

EBASTIAN  RALE,  the  famous  missionary 
and  Indian  scholar,  was  born  in  1658,  of  a  re- 
spectable faniil)'  in  France.  He  entered  the 
Society  of  Jesus,  and  was  sent  to  labor  in  the  New 
World  soon  after  his  ordination,  landing  at  Quebec 
on  the  13th  of  October,  1689.  He  was  first  stationed 
in  the  Abnaki  mission  village  which  had  been  formed 
at  a  beautiful  cataract  on  the  Chaudierc  Ri\er,  a 
stream  that  falls  into  the  St.  Lawrence,  near 
Quebec. 

Father  Rale,  it  seems,  met  his  first  trial  in  eating 
with  his  dusky  flock.  "  What  I  saw,"  he  says, 
"certainly  did  not  whet  my  appetite.  The  Indians 
took  notice  of  my  dislike  to  their  food,  and  said, 
'  W^hy  do  you  not  eat  ?'  I  replied,  that  I  was  not  used 
to  taking  my  food  thus  without  any  bread.  '  You 
must  overcome  your  scruples,'  said  the\';  'and  is 
this  so  hard  for  a  Father  who  understands  the 
prayer'  perfectly  ?     We,  on  our  part,  have  diflficul- 

'  The  Indians  used  the  word  pmywr  in  the  same  sense  that  we  use  the  won! 


3«4 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


■ii     iii     'A 


ties  to  get  over  in  order  to  have  faith  in  what  we 
cannot  see.'  Then  I  could  hesitate  no  longer.  It 
became  necessary  to  accommodate  myself  to  their 
manners  and  usages,  that  I  might  win  their  con- 
fidence, and  gather  them  into  the  fold  of  Christ." 

He  describes  the  Indian  warrior  of  his  day  as 
"  a  large  man,  strong,  active,  of  a  swarthy  com- 
plexion, beardless,  and  with  teeth  whiter  than 
ivory." 

In  1691,  Father  Rale  set  out  for  the  Illinois  In- 
dians, in  the  wilderness  of  the  far  West,  among 
whom  he  toiled  with  zeal  and  energy.  "There 
would  have  been  less  difficulty  in  converting  the 
Illinois,"  he  remarks,  "  if  religion  had  permitted 
polygamy  amongst  them."  He  remained  there  for 
two  years. 

From  the  year  1695,  we  find  him  among  his  be- 
loved Abnakis  at  Norridgewalk,  Maine.  "  The  site 
of  his  mission,"  writes  Shea,  "now  called  Indian 
Old  Point,  is  a  sequestered  spot  on  the  Kennebec, 
where  nature,  in  all  her  charms,  still  arrests  the  at- 
tention of  the  traveller.  Rale  is  not  the  apostle  of 
the  Kennebec.  At  his  arrival  the  Abnakis  were  al- 
most, if  not  quite,  all  converted,  and  had  a  small 
but  well-built  church." 

*'  The  traveller  knew  it  was  a  place  of  prayer, 
For  the  holy  sign  of  the  cross  was  there.* 

"  For  a  part  of  the  year,  the  missionary  and  his 
flock  remained  at  the  village  ;  but  when  the  crops 


Sebastian  Rule,  S,  J. 


3«5 


had  been  sown,  they  repaired  to  the  seacoast  to  fish — 
a  travelling  tent,  like  Israel's  tabernacle,  being  their 
chapel  on  the  way,  and  a  bark  cabin  receiving  it  on 
the  shore.  In  like  manner,  the  winter  was  spent  in 
hunting,  either  on  the  coast  or  in  the   mountains." 

The  war  between  France  and  England,  in  the 
early  years  of  the  eighteenth  century,  extended  is 
desolating  influence  to  their  American  Colonits 
The  Abnakis  sided  with  the  French  ;  and  in  1705, 
a  party  of  New-Englanders  burned  the  church  and 
village  of  Norridgewalk.  It  was  shortly  after  this 
that  an  unhappy  accident  befell  Father  Rale  on  a 
journey.  A  severe  fall  broke  both  his  legs.  And. 
as  if  to  add  to  his  merits  and  sufferings,  the  English 
offercvl  a  reward  for  his  head  ;  but,  guarded  by  his 
faithful  Indians,  he  was  safe  for  the  present  from 
bribe  and  bullet. 

When  the  treaty  of  Utrecht  restored  peace  in 
171 3,  the  Abnakis  set  about  building  a  new  church 
at  Norridgewalk.  A  number  of  chiefs  went  to 
Boston  to  engage  skilled  workmen.  Governor 
Dudley,  as  a  bribe,  offered  to  p;*y  the  expenses  of 
rebuilding,  if  the  Indians  would  put  away  their 
venerable  black-gown,  and  take  a  Protestant  minister 
in  his  place.  The  proposal  was  rejected  with  indig- 
nation. 

"  When  you  first  came  here,"  replied  the  Abnaki 
chief,  "  you  saw  me  long  before  the  French  Gov- 
ernors ;  but   neither   }Ou  nor   your  ministers  spoke 


3i6  The  Catholic  Pionefrs  of  America, 


!  r! 


lidl 


.1 


to  me  of  prayer,  or  the  Great  Spirit.  You  saw  my 
furs,  my  beaver  and  moose  skins,  and  of  these  only 
did  you  think.  When  I  had  much,  you  were  niy 
friends,  and  only  then.' 

"But  when  the  French  black-robe  came,  though  I 
was  loaded  with  furs,  he  disdained  to  look  at  them. 
He  spoke  to  me  of  the  Great  Spirit,  ot  Heaven,  of 
Hell,  of  the  prayer  which  is  the  only  \\\\y  to  reach 
Heaven.  I  heard  him,  and  was  delighted  with  his 
words.  At  last,  the  prayer  pleased  me.  I  asked  to 
be  instructed,  and  was  finally  baptized. 

"  Thus  have  the  French  acted.  Had  you  spoken  to 
me  of  the  prayer  as  soon  as  we  met,  1  should  now 
be  so  unhappy  as  to  pray  like  you  ;  for  I  could  not 
have  told  whether  your  prayer  was  good  or  bad. 
Now  I  hold  to  the  prayer  of  the  French.  I  agree  to 
it.  I  shall  be  faithful  to  it,  even  until  the  earth  is 
destroyed.  Keep  your  men,  and  your  gold,  a!ui 
your  minister  I  will  go  to  my  French  father!" 
The  church  was  rebuilt  by  the  French. 

Father  Rale's  wonderful  influence  over  the 
Abnakis,  together  with  the  fact  that  a  price  was 
placed  on  his  snow-white  head,  made  him  an  object  of 
extreme  hatred  to  the  English  ;  and  in  1722,  a  party 
of  soldiers  left  Boston  with  instructions  to  seize  him. 
The  aged  Jesuit,  maimed  as  he  was,  had  just  time 
to  hide  in  the  woods,  when  the  Boston  ruffi.ins 
swooped  down  on  the  village,  rifled  the  church, 
and  carried  off  all  his  books  and  manuscripts,  in 


Sebastian  Rale,  S.  J. 


317 


eluding  that  of  his  celebrated  Abnaki  Dictionary} 
Two  years  I-^ter,  unhappily,  a  more  successful  at- 
tempt was  made  on  the  precious  life  of  the 
missionary.  A  force  of  English  and  Moliavvk  war- 
riors suddenly  surrounded  the  village,  shouting  like 
fiends,  and  opened  a  deadly  volley  of  musketr}-. 
"  Father  Rale,"  writes  Francis,  "  apprised  of  the 
peril  of  his  people,  by  the  shouts  and  the  tumult, 
hastened  forth  fearlessly  to  present  his  person  to  the 
assailants,  in  the  hope  of  attracting  their  attention 
to  himself,  and  thus  securing  his  flock  at  the  risk  of 
his  own  life.  His  expectation  was  not  disappointed. 
Scarcely  had  he  appeared,  when  the  English  uttered 
a  great  shout,  which  was  followed  by  a  shower  of 
musket  shot.  He  fell  dead  near  the  cross  which  he 
had  planted  in  the  middle  of  the  village.  Seven 
Indians,  who  gathered  about  him  to  make  their 
bodies  his  protection,  were  slain  by  his  side.  Thus 
died  this  affectionate  pastor,  giving  his  life  for  the 
sheep,  after  a  mission  of  thirty-seven  years,  full  of 
suffering."  The  brutal  wretches  hacked  and  p.iangled ' 
his  body,  cut  his  head  open,  broke  his  legs;  and 
after  profaning  the  adorable  Host,  they  fired  the 
little  church. 


1  It  is  still  preserved  in  the  library  of  Harvard  University. 


ff^ 


318 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


t   ■''« 


CASIMIR  PULASKI, 

ONE  OF  THE  HEROES  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 
Died  A.  D.  1779. 

OUNT  CASIMIR  PULASKI  was  one  of  the 
bravest  and  most  skilful  generalsof  the  Revo- 
lution. The  son  of  a  patriotic  nobleman,  ho 
was  born  in  Poland,  in  1747.  After  receiving  an 
excellent  education,  Pulaski  acquired  great  military 
experience  in  the  long  and  unfortunate  wai  for  the 
liberation  of  his  country.  His  deeds  of  daring,  his 
bold  and  rapid  movements  against  the  overwhelm- 
ing forces  of  Russia,  have  been  the  themes  of  many 
an  able  pen.  But  his  unhappy  country  was  finally 
torn  in  pieces.  Austria,  Russia,  and  Prussia,  like  a 
pack  of  wolves,  joined  together,  and  prostrate  Poland 
was  divided  amongst  them.  Resistance  now  became 
hopeless. 

Count  Pulaski,  who  had  lost  his  brave  father  and 
brothers  in  the  war,  made  his  way  to  Turkey,  and 
afterwards  went  to  France,  where  he  offered  his 
services  to  Doctor  Franklin  in  aid  of  American 
liberty. 

Count   Pulaski,  of  Poland,"  wrote  Franklin  to 


<( 


Casiinu  I'ulaski, 


jiy 


to 


Gcncr.il  W'asliin^ton.  "  an  officer  famous  tluou^hout 
Europe  for  liis  bravery  atul  conduct  in  defence  of 
the  liberties  of  his  country  against  tlie  three  great 
invading  powers  of  Russia,  Austria,  anil  I'russia, 
will  have  the  honor  of  delivering  this  into  your 
hands." 

The  accomplished  soldier  arrived  at  Philadelphia 
in  the  summer  of  1777.  At  first,  he  served  in  the 
army  as  a  volunteer,  but  four  days  after  the  battle 
of  Brandywine,  in  which  he  greatly  distinguished 
himself,  he,was  appointed  by  Congress  commander 
of  the  cavalry,  with  the  rank  of  Uiigadier-General. 
After  five  months,  he  resigned  this  command,  and 
entered  the  main  army  at  Valley  Forge  in  March, 
1778.  Here,  with  the  consent  of  Congress,  he 
organized  an  independent  corps  of  cavalry  and 
light  infantry — the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  American 
army.     This  corps  was  known  as  Pulaski's  Legion. 

At  the  head  of  it,  in  1779,  he  marched  to  South 
Carolina,  reached  Charleston  in  May,  and  vigorously 
opposed  the  project  of  surrendering  the  place  to 
the  British  army,  then  before  the  city.  With  his 
Legion,  he  made  a  bold  attack  on  the  English  ad- 
vance guard,  but  was  repulsed  with  considerable 
loss,  he  himself  escaping  with  difificulty  to  the 
American  lines.  On  the  arrival  of  the  French  fleet 
in  October  of  the  same  year,  it  was  determined  to 
carry  the  town  by  assault.  Pulaski  was  placed  in 
command  of  the  French  and  American  cavalry.     In 


w^ 


320 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


itn 


m 


the  heal  of  the  enj;agement,  the  noble  I*ole  received 
a  mortal  wound,  ot  which  he  died  after  lingering  two 
days  ;  and  thus  "  closed  the  life  of  this  extraordinary 
warriorat  the  early  age  of  thirty  two."  His  loss  was 
deplored  by  the  whole  army. 

Count  Pulaski,  the  chivalrous  soldier  and  hero  of 
liberty,  was  also  a  true  son  of  the  Church.  It  is 
related  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  saying  his  beads 
everyday.  The  memory  of  his  deeds,  his  dauntless 
courage,  and  lofty  character  should  be  cherished  by 
everv  American.  Congress  voted  him  a  monument, 
but  it  is  a  suggestive  reflection  on  human  ingrati- 
tude to  add  that  it  was  never  erected.  The  citizens 
of  Georgia,  however,  raised  one  to  his  honor  at 
Savannah.  The  name  of  Pulaski  is  now  given  to 
seven  counties  in  the  United  States. 


Ill ' 

li;^<;."..Hi>' 


ulI...  . :  , 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America,  321 


FRANCIS  JUNIPER  SERRA,  O,  S.  R, 

FOUNDER  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO,  AND  APOSTLE   OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Died  A.  D.    1784. 


ENTURIES  before  the  greedy  gold-huntcr 


directed  his  steps  towards  California,  its  loft\- 
li ills  and  lovelv  valleys  were  traversed  bv  tlic 
Jesuit  and  the  Franciscan — devoted  pioneers  of  the 
Catholic  Religion — who  were  on  a  widely  different 
Tiission.  One  of  them  has  written  his  name  in  shining 
letters  on  the  first  page  of  its  history.  It  is  the 
Apostle  of  the  State — Father  Francis  Juniper  Serra. 

He  was  born  of  poor  but  pious  parents  on  the 
24th  of  November,  1713,  in  the  island  ot  Majorca. 
The  bright  boy  was  educated  by  the  Franciscan 
Fathers,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  became  a 
member  of  that  Order.  Young  Serra's  gifts  did 
not  mar  his  virtue.  He  was  honored  with  the  de- 
gree of  Doctor  of  Theology,  filled  a  professor's  chair, 
and  found  his  happiness  in  study,  teaching,  prayer, 
and  the  practice  of  virtue. 

But  Father  Serra  had  the  missionary  spirit,  and 
he  discovered  his  true  field  of  exertion  in  the  New 
World.     Aftex    a    stormy   passage,    he    landed    in 


P1-^ 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  Anutu^x* 


111 

l! 


Mexico,  and  penetrated  on  foot  to  the  capital,  in 
company  with  a  ninnber  of  his  brother  Franciscans. 
The  Apostohc  band  reached  the  city  of  Montezuma 
on  New-Year's  Day,  1750. 

Father  Sena  was  now  sent  to  labor  among  the 
wandering  tribes  of  the  Sierra  Gorda,  and  he  toiled 
for  years  to  gain  these  poor  souls  to  Christ.  He 
was  a  true  spiritual  guide. 

'*  He  tried  each  art,  reproved  each  dull  delay. 
Allured  lo  brighter  worlds,  and  led  the  way." 

It  is  said  that  in  order  to  give  his  simple,  dusky 
flock  a  good  example,  he  made  it  a  custom  to  go  to 
confession  in  tlie  presence  of  the  people. 

When  the  Spanish  Government  unjustly  closed 
the  Jesuit  missions  in  Lower  California,  the  Fran 
ciscans  were  ordered  to  continue  the  work  ;  and 
Father  Serra  was  appointed  Superior  of  the  band 
of  priests  sent  to  that  province.  As  soon  as  the 
missionaries  were  properly  stationed,  he  proceeded 
to  carry  out  the  great  labor  of  bis  life — the  es- 
tablishment of  missions  in  Upper  California,  or 
what  is  now  the  State  of  California. 

The  Spanish  missionaries  usually  accompanied  a 
military  expedition,  and  it  was  so  in  this  instance. 
Father  Serra  and  three  Franciscans  joined  the  ex- 
pedition commanded  by  Galvez  in  1769.  *  The 
first  object  of  this  expedition,"  wrote  the  com- 
mander,   in   his   instructions,  **  is  to  establish   the 


Francis  Juniper  Scrra,  0.  S.  F. 


l^l 


Catholic  Religion  among  a  numerous  heathen  peo. 
pie,  submerged  in  the  darl:nc.ss  of  paganism  ,  and 
to  extend  the  dominion  of  our  sovereign,  the  King 
of  Spain."  The  expedition  left  La  Paz,  in  Lower 
California,  and  after  some  sailing  and  forty  six  day. *>* 
trav^elling  by  land,  it  reached  the  port  of  the  prc-c  nt 
city  of  San  Diego.  Here  Father  Serra  began  his 
first  mission. 

The.  establishment  of  a  mission  may  be  thus 
briefly  sketched.  The  place  was  taken  possession  of 
by  the  military  authorities.  A  tent  was  erected  as 
a  temporary  chapel.  Father  Serra  and  the  other 
priests  then  went  in  procession,  and  blessed  the 
chapel,  on  whose  front  a  crucifix  or  simple  wooden 
cross  was  raised.  Mass  was  celebrated,  and  a  sermon 
preached  on  the  coming  and  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  The  Vent  Creator  was  sung,  and  a  Father 
was  charged  with  the  direction  and  responsibility  of 
the  mission. 

The  Indians  were  attracted  by  little  presents. 
To  the  men  and  women  were  given  small  pieces  of 
cloth,  or  food,  and  to  the  children  bits  of  sugar. 
They  would  soon  gather  around  the  missionaries, 
when  they  found  how  good  and  kind  they  were ; 
and  the  priests  were  not  slow  in  picking  up  the 
language.  They  became  the  fathers  and  instructors 
of  the  poor,  ignorant  Indians,  catechized  them  in 
the  mysteries  of  the  faith,  collected  them  into 
villages  around  the  mission  church,  and  taught  them 


h  = 


M     ,■■ 


324  77u'  Catliolic  Pioneers  of  America. 

to  plough  and  cultivate  the  lands,  to  sow  wheat,  to 
grind  corn,  to  bake.  They  introduced  the  olive,  the 
vine,  and  tiie  apple  ,  and  taught  the  savages  how  to 
yoke  the  oxen  for  work,  how  to  spin  and  weave 
their  clothing,  to  prepare  leather  from  the  hides  and 
instructed  them  in  the  rudiments  of  commerce 

The  outposts  of  religion  grew  rapidly  in  numbers 
and  extent.  So  busy  was  Father  Serra  in  the  wil- 
derness of  California,  that  he  had  almost  lost  sight 
of  the  outside  world.  "  As  it  is  a  whole  year  since 
I  received  any  letter  from  a  Christian  country,"  he 
writes  to  a  friend  in  1771,  "your  reverence  may 
imagine  in  what  want  of  news  we  are,  but,  for  all 
that,  I  only  ask  you,  when  you  can  get  an  oppor- 
tunity, to  inform  me  what  the  most  holy  Father,  the 
reigning  Pope,  is  called,  that  I  may  put  his  name  in 
the  Canon  of  the  Mass." 

"  Tell  me,  also,  '  he  adds,  '*  if  ii't  is  true  that  the 
Indians  have  killed  Father  Joseph  Saler  in  Sonora, 
and  how  it  happened  and  if  there  are  any  other 
departed  friends,  so  that  I  may  commend  them  to 
God.  with  anything  else  that  you  may  think  fit  to 
*  communi'cate  to  a  few  poor  hermits,  who  are 
separated  from  human  society.  To-morrow,  we 
shall  celebrate  the  feast  and  make  the  procession  of 
Corpus  Christi — though  in  a  very  poor  manner — in 
order  to  scare  away  whatever  little  devils  there  may 
possibly  be  in  this  land."  Twelve  priests  joined  in 
this   sacred   procession,    and    the   wild    but   lovely 


m 


Francis  Jiiniptr  Serra,  0.  S.  F. 


325 


valleys  of   Monterey  resounded  as  they  had   never 
done  before. 

The  Indians  embraced  the  faith  in  thousands. 
The  only  want  was  more  missionaries.  "  Let  those 
who  come  here,"  wrote  Father  Serra,  "  come  well 
provided  with  patience  and  charity,  and  let  them 
have  a  stock  of  good-humor,  for  they  may  become 
rich — I  mean  in  troubles.  But  where  will  the  labor- 
ing ox  go  that  he  must  not  draw  the  plough  ?  And 
if  he  do  not  draw  the  plough,  how  can  there  be  a 
harvest?" 

At  the  very  time  when  the  Fathers  of  this 
Republic  were  drafting  the  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence, a  mission  was  founded  at  San  Francisco  by 
order  of  the  saintly  Serra.  It  was  on  the  27th  of 
June,  1776  ''  San  Francisco,"  says  a  western  writer, 
"  has  this,  at  least,  to  boast  of — that  the  first  build- 
ing erected  within  it,  was  dedicated  to  Gods  wor- 
ship under  the  patronage  of  Saint  Francis." 

Though  age  was  rapi(|ly  stealing  over  Father 
Serra,  he  continued,  as  Prefect  Apostolic  and  Supe- 
rior of  the  missions  in  California,  to  push  on  the 
good  work  with  the  zeal  and  energy  of  a  young 
apostle.  He  was  granted  power  to  administer  the 
sacrament  of  Confirmation.  One  of  the  mission- 
aries was  murdered  by  the  savages.  "  Thank  God  !" 
he  exclaimed,  "  that  field  is  watered.**  "  Ten  mis- 
sions were  already  established,  and  about  ten  thou- 
sand Indians  had  been  baptized,"  when  the  angel  of 


pr 


326 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  nierica. 


death  came.  The  great  priest  with  trembling  steps 
went  to  the  church,  and  received  the  Holy  Commun- 
ion on  his  knees.  He  ordered  the  carpenter  of  tlie 
mission  to  make  his  coffin.  He  was  assisted  back 
to  his  bed,  and  soon  after  the  solemn  tolling  of  the 
church  bells  at  Monterey  and  the  firing  of  salutes 
by  the  war  vessels  in  the  harbor,  with  the  flags  at 
half-mast,  announced  to  the  world  that  the  venerable 
Father  Serra  was  no  more.  He  died  on  the  29th  of 
August,  1784,  at  the  age  of  seventy- one  years. 


■<'■ 


JOHN  BARRY/ 

THE  FOUNDER  OF  THE  AMERICAN  NAVY. 
Died  A.  D.  1S03. 

COMMODORE  JOHN  BARRY,  "  the  father 
and  founder  of  the*American  Navy,"  was  one 
of  the  real  heroes  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  born 
in  1745,  in  the  County  of  Wexford  Ireland.  His 
father  was  a  well-to-do  farmer,  whose  cottage  was  so 
near  the  beach  that  he  had  but  to  step  out  of  his 
own  door,  to  stand  beside  the  sea — 

"  The  sea  !  the  sea  I  the  open  sea, 
The  blue,  the  fresh    the  ever  free.  * 


1  The  Irish  form  of  the  name  is  O'Baire. 


yokn  Barry, 


327 


The  boy  was  Drought  up  in  virtue  and  simplicity, 
and  the  purest  principles  of  the  Catholic  Religion 
were  impressed  on  his  mind  and  heart.  As  his  keen 
eye  daily  swe^t  the  boundless  Atlantic,  its  foam- 
ing billows  came  to  have  the  charm  of  an  attraction, 
and  he  conceived  a  great  fondness  for  the  ocean. 
His  father,  a  man  of  good  sense,  noticing  the  direc- 
tion of  his  son's  inclinations,  placed  him  on  board 
of  a  merchantman  ;  and,  at  about  fourteen  years  of 
age,  John  Barry  began  to  sail  regularly  between 
Philadelphia  and  the  British  ports. 

By  self-culture  and  fidelity  to  duty,  he  rose  rapidly 
in  his  chosen  profession.  At  the  age  of  twenty, 
five,  he  was  Captain  of  the  Black  Prince,  one  of  the 
best  packet  vessels  of  that  day.  The  owner  of  this 
ship  was  Meredith,  of  Philadelphia,  at  whose  house 
Washington  was  an  occasional  visitor.  Here  he  first 
met  the  young  sailor,  '*  and  marked  the  future 
Commodore." 

Captain  Barry  was  already  an  American  citizen. 
When  the  Revolutionary  War  began,  he  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  oppressed  Colonies  with  great 
enthusiasm,  and  embarked  his  all  in  the  struggles  of 
his  adopted  country.  He  gave  up,  to  use  his  own 
language,  "  the  finest  ship  and  the  first  employ  in 
America,  and  entered  into  the  service  of  his  coun 
try.  • 

Congress,  towards  the  close  of    1776,   purchased 
several  merchant  vessels  with   the  view  of  having 


i  ;| 


^ 


i   • 


3^^ 


The  Catliolic  Pioneers  of  America. 


mm 


them  hastily  fitted  out  as  ships  of  war.     To  Captain 
Barry  was  committed  the  superintendence  of  the 
equipment   of   this  first  American   fleet.     When  all 
was  finished,  he  was  appointed  to   the  command  of 
the  Lexington.     This  was  the   first  ship  to  hoist  the 
Stars  and   Stripes.     Captain    Barry  without  delay 
proceeded   to  sea  in  search  of   the  enemy's  cruisers. 
In   the  midst  of  a  superior   hostile   force,  he  had  a 
wide  and   dangerous    field    for    the    display   of  his 
genius  and  patriotism.     Under  the  very  eyes  of  an 
English   squadron,  he   made  short   work  of  several 
of  the  enemy's  small  cruisers,  and  on  the  17th  of 
April,  1776,  fell  in  with  the  armed  tender  Edwards, 
which,  after  a  spirited  contest,   he  captured.     This 
affair  is  worthy  of   note  as  the  first  capture   of  any 
vessel  of  war  by  a  regular  American  cruiser  in  battle. 
Captain  Barry  was  next   appointed  to  the  Effiui^- 
ham,  but  as  the  rigorous  winter  prevented  the  ship 
from  proceeding  to  sea,  he  joined  the  army,  and  by 
his  dashing  bravery  and  cool  judgment,  won  the  ad- 
miration of  all.     After  the  British  army  under  Lord 
Howe   had    obtained    possession    of    Philadelphia, 
Captain  Barry  continued  in  command  of  \.\\e  Effittg- 
ham,  which  was  still   ice-bound  in  the  Delaware,  a 
few  miles  from  the  city,  and  in  a  position  which  the 
English   General  saw   could   be    rendered  of   great 
service  to   the    British,  if  the  vessel   and  her  com- 
mander could  be  gained  over  to  the  royalist  cause. 
Lord   Howe   accordingly  made  an  offer  of  fifteen 


[Captain 
of  the 
hen  all 
land  of 
)ist  the 
:  delay 
ruiseis. 
:  had  a 
of  his 
s  of  an 
several 
[7th  of 
iwards, 
.  This 
of  any 
battle. 

^#''.?-- 
le  sliip 

and  by 
he  ad- 
r  Lord 

elphia, 

v'are,  a 
ch  the 

great 
•  corn- 
cause. 

fteen 


yn^n  Pnrrt, 


329 


thousand  guineas — equal  to  about  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars — and  the  command  of  a  British  ship 
of  the  line  to  Captain  Barry,  if  he  would  deliver  up 
his  vessel  to  the  En<^h*sh.  With  a  noble  imlif^nation, 
this  heroic  Catholic  replied  that  "  he  had  devoted 
himself  to  the  cause  uf  his  c<'Uiitr\',  and  nut  the 
value  or  command  of  the  whole  British  fleet  could 
seduce  him  from  it." 

While  the  English  held  the  Delaware,  he  gave 
them  constant  annoyance  by  boat  expeditions,  cut- 
ting off  their  supplies  and  smallercraft.  On  one  occa- 
sion, with  only  twenty- eight  men  in  fotir  small  boats, 
Captain  Barry  captured  two  British  ships  and  a 
schooner.  "The  courage  that  inspired  this  small 
and  heroic  band,"  says  the  National  Portrait  Gallery, 
'*  is  not  alone  sufificient  to  account  for  his  wonderfur 
success,  but  it  must  be  ascribed  to  a  combination  of 
daring  bravery  and  consummate  skill  by  which  the 
diminutive  power  under  his  command  was  directed 
with  unerring  rapidity  and  irresistible  force." 

**  I  congratulate  you,"  wrote  Washington  to  Barry, 
"on  the  success  which  has  crowned  your  gallantry 
and  address  in  the  late  attack  upon  the  enemx's 
ships.  Although  circumstances  have  prevented 
you  from  reaping  the  full  benefits  of  your  conquest, 
yet  there  is  ample  consolation  in  the  degree  of  glory 
which  you  have  acquired.  You  will  be  pleased  to 
accept  of  my  thanks  for  the  good  things  which  you 
were  so  polite  as  to   send  me,  with  my  own  wishes 


f  1 


330  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


vm 


that  a  suitable  recompense  may  always  attend  your 
bravery." 

Getting  at  last  to  sea,  in  command  of  tlie  Raleigh 
of  thirty-two  guns,  Captain  Barry  kept  three 
J^ritish  ships  at  bay,  and  after  disabling  one,  he 
succeeded  in  running  his  ship  ashore,  and  saving 
most  of  his  metv  He  received  the  title  of  Coin- 
inodore,  being  the  second  American  officer  up(  n 
whom  it  was  conferred.  In  the  famous  frigate 
Alliance,  he  made  many  captures,  and  after  a  ter- 
rible engagement,  in  which  he  was  severely  wounded, 
took  the  English  sloop  of  war  Atlanta  and  her  con- 
sort, the  brig  Trepassy. 

In  the  spring  of  i;82,  he  performed  a  most  bril- 
liant action.  Returning  from  Havana  with  a  large 
amount  of  specie  and  supplies,  he  encountered  a 
British  squadron,  in  the  very  sight  of  which  he  at- 
tacked and  disabled  the  sloop  Sibyl.  When  hailed 
by  the  squadron  as  to  the  name  of  the  ship,  the 
captain,  etc.,  the  Commodore  gave  this  spirited 
reply:  "The  United  States  ship  Alliance,  saucy 
Jack   Barry,    half-Irishman,    half-Yankee-— who   are 

After  the  Revolution,  Commodore  Barry,  as  the 
senior  ofificer,  continued  at  the  head  of  the  Navy 
till  the  day  (^f  his  death.  During  the  misunder- 
standing with  the  French  Government  in  1798,  which 
occasioned  a  brief  naval  war,  he  rendered  eminent 
service  in   protecting  our  commerce,  and    inflicting 


h;^:il.h 


jokn  Jitury, 


331 


severe  punishment  on  the  French.  He  died  at 
Philadelphia  on  the  13th  of  September,  1803,  and 
was  interred  in  St.  Mary's  ourjing-ground,  where 
his  monument  may  be  seen.  Ihe  Commodore  died 
without  children,  and  left  as  his  chiet  legatee  the 
Catholic  Orphan  Asylum  of  Philadelphia. 

In  person  Commodore  Barry  was  tall,  graceful, 
and  commanding.  His  manners  were  simple  and 
courteous,  but  very  dignified.  His  fine,  manly 
countenance  showed  the  kindness  of  his  heart  no 
less  than  the  firmness  of  his  character.  Through 
life  he  was  a  sincere,  practical  Catholic,  remarkable 
for  his  strict  and  noble  observance  of  the  duties  of 
religion.  He  was  unsurpassed  in  all  the  qualilicb 
which  constitute  a  great  naval  commander. 

"There  are  gallant  hearts  whose  glory 

Columbia  Idvos  to  name, 
Whose  deed.-)  shall  live  in  story 

And  eveilastinjj  fame. 
But  never  yet  one  braver, 

Our  starry  banner  bore, 
Than  saucy  old  Jack  Bariy, 

The  Irish  Commodore.'* 


332 


Tiu  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


linn 


JOHN  BAPTIST  DE  ROCHAMHEAU, 

COMMA \DliR  OF  THE  FRENCH  ARMY  THA  T AIDED  THE  UNITED 
STA  TES  TOACHIhl  7.  THEIR  INDEPENDENCE. 

Died  A.  D.iio'i. 

jN  the  1st  of  July,  1725 — seven  years  before 
the  birth  of  George  Washington — there  was 
born  in  an  ancient  chateau,  at  Vendome, 
France,  a  child  that  was  destined  to  have  a  large  aiuj 
honorable  share  in  securing  the  independence  of  this 
Republic.  It  was  John  Baptist  de  Vimeur,  Count  de 
Rochambeau.  He  entered  the  arnuy  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  distinguished  himself  in  many  a  well  con- 
tested campaign,  and,  at  length,  rose  to  the  rank  of 
Lieu  tenant-General. 

In  1780,  Count  de  Rochambeau  was  placed  in 
command  of  the  French  army  sent  to  America. 
The  expedition  sailed  from  Brest.  "On  the  12th 
of  July,"  writes  the  commander,  "  we  entered  the 
port  of  Rhode  Island,  after  a  passage  of  seventy 
days.  We  were  closely  followed  by  the  squad 
of  Admiral  Graves,'  which  arrived  at  New  York  i.e 
day  following." 

t  English, 


John  Baptist  I)e  Rochamheau, 


333 


The  French  forces,  amounting  to  about  6,000 
men,  disembarked  at  Newport,  where  everything 
was  put  in  an  excellent  state  of  defence.  The 
superiority  of  the  English  fleet,  however,  fnabled 
them  to  bloctcade  Newport.  While  this  served  to 
divide  the  strength  of  the  British  "  dogs  of  war, 
it  kept  the  French  for  a  time  in  a  state  of  inactivity 
It  thus  became  necessary  to  await  land  and  naval 
reinforcements  from  France. 

The  vigor  and  activity  of  the  enemy  called  for  a 
perfect  understanding 'on  all  points  of  action  between 
Washington  and  Rochambeau.  This  could  not  be 
achieved  by  slow  correspondence.  The  French  com 
mander  asked  for  an  interview,  but  it  seems  this  wise 
suggestion  did  not  at  first  meet  with  the  warm 
approval  of  either  Washington  or  Lafayette. 

"  It  is  always  right,  my  dear  Marquis,"  wrote 
Rochambeau  to  Lafayette,  on  the  27th  of  August, 
I780,  "to  believe  that  Frenchmen  are  invincible; 
but  I,  after  an  experience  of  forty  years,  am  going 
to  confide  a  great  secret  to  you ;  there  are  no  men 
more  easily  beaten  when  they  have  lost  confidence 
in  their  chiefs,  and  they  lose  it  instantly  when  their 
lives  have  been  compromised,  owing  to  any  private 
or  personal  ambition.  If  I  have  been  so  fortunate 
as  to  have  retained  their  confidence  until  the  present 
moment,  I  may  declare,  upon  the  most  scrupulous 
examination  of  my  own  conscience,  that  I  owe  it 
'.  ntirely  to  this  fact,  that,  of    -ibout  fifteen  thousand 


334 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


I!  , 


men  who  have  been  killed  or  wounded  under  my 
command,  of  various  ranks,  and  in  the  most  bloody 
actions,  I  have  not  to  reproach  myself  with  havini^ 
caused  the  death  of  a  single  man  for  my  own  personal 
advantage 

"  You  wrote  to  the  Chevalier  de  Chastellux,  my 
dear  Marquis,  that  the  interview  I  requested  of  our 
General'  has  embarrassed  him,  because  it  only  be 
comes  necessary  after  the  arrival  of  the  second 
division,  when  there  will  be  quite  time  enough  to 
act.  But  you  must  surely  have  forgotten  that  I 
have .  unceasingly  requested  that  interview  imme- 
diately, and  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  he, 
the  Admiral,"  and  I,  should  concert  together  all  our 
projects  and  details,  that  in  case  one  of  the  three 
chances  should  occur  and  enable  us  to  act  offensively, 
our  movements  may  be  prompt  and  decisive.  In 
either  of  these  three  cases,  my  dear  Marquis,  you 
will  find  in  your  old,  prudent  father  some  remnants 
of  vigor  and  activity.  Be  ever  convinced  of  my 
sincere  affection,  and  that  if  I  pointed  out  to  you 
very  gently  what  displeased  me  in  your  last  dis- 
patch, I  felt  at  the  time  convinced  that  the  warmth 
of  your  heart  had  somewhat  impaired  the  coolness 
of  your  judgment.  Retain  that  latter  quality  in  the 
council- room,  and  reserve  £.11  the  former  for  the  hour 
of  action.     It  is  always  th?  aged  father,  Rochambeau, 


'  Waslui,;^ton 
8  De  Terney. 


II 


John  Baptist  De  Rochambeau. 


335 


who  is  addressing  his  dear  son  Lafayette,  whom  he 
loves,  and  will  ever  love  and  esteem  until  his  latest 
breath." 

It  was  finally  agreed  that  the  conference  should 
take  place  at  Hartford  on  the  20th  of  September  , 
and  on  that  day  Rochambeau,  in  company  with 
Admiral  de  Terney,  met  Washington  and  Lafayette. 
Besides  the  happy  interchange  of  views  and  personal 
acquaintance  brought  about  by  this  interview,  it  had 
another  wonderful  and  wholly  unexpected  result — 
•  the  discovery  of  Arnold's  treachery  It  was  on  his 
return  to  the  American  Army,  by  way  of  West 
Point,  that  Washington  learned,  just  at  the  right 
moment,  of  the  base  conspiracy  to  deliver  up  to  the 
British  the  keys  of  that  important  fortress — the  great 
depot  of  American  stores  and  ammunition  on  the 
Hudson.' 

When  Rochambeau  heard  of  the  horrible  plot 
and  its  discovery,  he  Wrote  to  Lafayette  :  "  Provi- 
dence has  declared  itself  for  us,  my  dear  Marquis  ; 
and  that  important  interview,  which  I  have  so  long 
wished  for,  and  which  has  given  me  so  much  pleas- 
ure, has  been  crowned  by  a  peculiar  mark  of  the 
favor  of  Heaven.' 

In  those  days  even  veteran  Generals  could  not 
take  express  trains,  and  the  gallant  French  Com- 
mander tells  an  anecdote  in  relation  to  his  journey 
to  Hartford  which  is  well  worth  recounting.     "  The 

'  See  the  life  of  Lafayette. 


5iC^ 


Tlic  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  America. 


carriage,"  writes  Rochambeau,  "  in  which  I  pro- 
ceeded to  the  conference,  in  company  with  Admiral 
de  Ten;ey,  wlio,  by  the  way,  was  very  infirm,  broke 
down.  I  dispatched  my  first  aide-decamp,  Fersen, 
to  bring  a  wheelwright,  who  lived  about  a  mile 
from  the  spot  where  the  accident  occurred  He 
soon,  however,  returned  to  us,  saying  that  he  had 
found  the  man  sick  with  the  ague,  and  that  he  had 
positively  declared  to  him  that  not  for  a  hat  full  of 
guineas  would  he  work  at  night.  I  persuaded  the 
Admiral  to  accompany  m  e  to  the  man's  shop,  and 
we  went  there.  We  told  him  that  General 
Washington  would  arrive  at  Hartford  the  same 
evening,  to  confer  wi.th  us  on  the  following  day,  and 
that  unless  he  could  repair  our  carriage,  we  should 
be  too  late  to  meet  him. 

"  *  You  are  no  liars  at  any  rate,'  he  replied;  *  for  I 
read  in  the  Connecticut  paper  that  Washington  was 
to  be  there  to  confer  with  you  ;  as  it  is  for  the 
public  service,  I  will  take  care  that  your  carriage 
shall  be  ready  for  you  at  six  in  the  morning'  He 
kept  his  word,  and  we  proceeded  on  at  the  promised 
time. 

•*  As  we  returned  another  wheel  broke,  and  we 
were  once  more  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  our 
old  friend.  '  Well !  said  he,  *  so  you  want  me  to 
work  again  for  you  at  night  ?'  '  Yes,  indeed,  we  do,' 
I  replied.  *  Admiral  Rodncx-  lias  arrived  to  rein- 
force threefold  the  naval  forces  against  which  we 


p 


'  i^H'.'li'K 


John  Baptist  De  Rockambcau. 


hh7 


are  contending,  and  it  is  of  the  highest  importance 
that  we  should  return  without  delay  to  Rhode 
Island  to  oppose  him.  *  But  what  can  you  do,  he 
continued,  'with  your  six  ships,  against  the  twenty 
English  ones?'  *  It  will  be  the  most  glorious  day 
of  our  lives  if  they  attempt  to  break  our  line.' 
*  Come,  come,'  said  he, '  you  are  good,  honest  fellows  ; 
your  carriage  shall  be  put  in  repair  by  to-morrow 
morning  at  five  o'clock.  But  tell  me,  before  I  set 
to  work,  although  I  do  not  wish  to  enquire  into 
your  secrets — how  did  you  like  Washington,  and 
how  did  he  like  you  ?' 

**  We  assured  him  th^t  we  had  been  delighted 
with  Washington  ;  and  his  patriotism  was  satisfied, 
and  he  kept  his  word.  I  do  not  mean  to  compare 
all  Americans  to  this  good  man  ;  but  almost  all  the 
inland  cultivators  and  all  the  land-owners  of  Con- 
necticut are  animated  with  that  patriotic  spirit 
which  many  other  people  would  do  well  to  imitate." 

It  is  proper  to  glance  aside  at  the  gloomy  state 
of  affairs  among  the  Americans  in  the  North  at  that 
time.  Such  a  glancf  shows*  the  immense  value  of 
French  assistance.  "At  the  North,"  writes  Has 
sard,  "  the  whole  number  of  soldiers  under  Wash- 
ington's command  was  not  as  large  as  the  number 
of  Tories  alone  in  the  service  of  the  British.  Food 
was  very  scarce.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  ob- 
tain recruits,  the  States  beincr  nearly  exhausted. 
The    French  army  w^s  still   at  Newport,  kept  inac- 


li    ; 


-)r 


33S 


77/^  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


tive  by  the  presence  of  the  British  fleet.  The  dif. 
Acuities  about  money  became  more  and  more 
serious.  The  Continental  bills  fell  rapidly.  A 
dollar  in  that  currency  was  soon  worth  only  one 
cent;  finally  it  took  a  thousand  dollars  m  paper  to 
equal  one  dollar  in  silver ,  and  before  the  end  of 
the  year  (1781)  Continental  bills,  of  which  there 
were  more  than  $ioo,cxx),ooo  in  circulation,  were 
worth  nothing  at  all. 

•*  In  this  extremity  the  States  were  relieved  by 
their  ^ood  allies,  the  French.  When  Robert  Morris 
had  exhausted  all  his  own  means  and  credit,  he  ob- 
iamed  a  little  timely  aid  from  Count  Rochambeau, 
and  soon  afterwardsmoney,  clothing,  arms,  and  am- 
munition arrived  from  France."  ' 
'  The  chief  credit  of  capturing  Cornwallis — which 
was  the  death-blow  to  English  power  in  this  Re- 
public— belongs  to  Count  Rochambeau.  The  idea 
of  such  an  expedition  originated  with  him,  and  he 
contributed  more  to  its  success  than  any  other 
man.  The  correspondence  of  the  time  proves  this; 
but  most  historians  pa*ss  over  the  matter  in  silence. 
It  is  well  known  that  General  Washington,  during 
the  summer  of  178 1,  considered  the  taking  of  New 
York  as  the  first  great  object  to  which  the  com. 
biped  French  and  American  armies  should  direct 
their  attention.  He  regarded  any  movement  against 
"'Cornwallis,  as  quite  a  secondary  object.*" 

'  History  of  the  United  States  of  A  merica,  ^  RochambeaQ. 


John  Baptist  De  Rochambtau. 


339 


When  the  French  Admiral  de  Grasse  arrived  in 
American  waters,  with  a  powerful  naval  armament. 
Count  Rochambeau  counselled  him  to  sail  for 
Chesapeake  Bay,  where  he  gained  an  advantage  over 
the  English  Admiral  Graves.  "  I  suggested  as  my 
own  opinion,"  writes  Rochambeau  in  his  Memoirs, 
"  the  propriety  of  attempting  an  expedition  to 
Chesapeake,  against  the  army  of  Lord  Cornwallis." 
De  Grasse  remamed  in  the  Chesapeake,  and  Wash- 
ington entered  into  the  views  of  Rochambeau.  It 
was  the  doom  of  Cornwallis. 

The  American  forces  began  to  move  towards 
Virginia.  The  French  troops  under  Rochambeau 
left  Newport,  and  marched  for  the  same  point.  '*  In 
the  course  of  this  summer,"  writes  the  historian 
Ramsay,  "  they  passed  through  all  the  extensive 
settlements  which  lie  between  Newport  and  York- 
town.  It  seldom,  if  ever,  happened  before,  that  an 
Army  led  through  a  foreign  country,  at  so  great  a 
distance  from  their  own,  among  a  people  of  different 
principles,  customs,  language,  and  religion,  behaved 
with  so  much  regularity.  In  their  march  to  York- 
town,  they  passed  through  500  miles  of  a  country 
abounding  in  fruit,  and  at  a  time  when  the  most 
delicious  productions  of  nature,  growing  on  and  near 
the  public  highways,  presented  both  opportunity  and 
temptation  to  gratify  their  appetites.  Yet  so  C(  m- 
plete  was  their  discii)linc.  that  in  this  long  march, 
scarcely  an   instance  could  be   produced  of  a  peach 


? 


340 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


:i  - 


or  an  apple  being  taken,  without  the  consent  of  the 
inhabitants." 

Rochambeau  invested  Yorktown  with  8,400  French 
soldiers.  Washington  had  5,500  American  troops 
and  about  3,000  militia.  In  the  bay  near  by  was  the 
French  fleet,  under  De  Grasse,  consisting  of  twenty- 
four  ships  of  the  line,  carrying  1700  guns  and  19,000 
seamen.  Cornwallis  was  thus  cornered  like  a  rat, 
and  he  had  to  surrender. 

"  At  length,"  says  Rochambeau  in  his  Memoirs, 
"on  the  17th,  the  enemy  offered  to  parley;  and  a 
capitulation  was  signed  by  which  Lord  Cornwallis 
and  his  army  surrendered  as  prisoners  of  war.'  The 
French  and  the  Americans  took  possession  of  the 
two  bastions  at  noon.  Two  hours  afterwards  the 
garrison  filed  off,  in  battle  array,  between  the  two 
armies,  and  afterwards  stacked  their  arms  in  piles, 
together  with  a  few  colors.  ' 

"  Lord  Cornwallis  being  sick.  General  O'Hara 
filed  off  at  the  head  of  the  garrison.  As  he  came 
up  to  where  I  was  standing,  he  presented  his  sword 
to  me.  I  pointed  to  General  Washington,  who 
stood  opposite  to  me,  at  the  head  of  the  American 
army,  and  told  him  that  the  French  army  being 
only  an  auxiliary  on  this  continent,  it  devolved 
on  the  American  commander  to  tender  him  his 
orders." 

When  the  British  minister,  Lord  North,  heaid  of 

1  On  the  i9tli  of  October,  1781. 


ii  !'!; 


John  Baptist  De  Rochambeau. 


34  r 


the  surrender   of  Cornwallis,  he  exclaimed   wildly 
"It  is  all  over!"  and  so  it  was. 

"  As  a  proof  of  the  wonderful  discipline  of  our 
troops,"  says  Count  Rochambeau,  "  it  will  be  suf- 
ficient to  say,  that,  in  the  course  of  three  campaigns, 
there  was  not  a  single  duel  or  quarrel  recorded  be* 
tween  our  soldiers  and  the  Americans.' 

Before  the  brave  General  sailed  for  France  hewks 
the  recipient  of  scores  of  addresses  from  a  fiee,  grate- 
ful, warm-hearted  people.  Congress  presented  him 
with  an  address  and  two  pieces  of  cannon  captured 
from  the  English. 

The  good  Quakers  of  Philadelphia,  however,  made 
him  smile.  "  A  deputation  of  the  ancient  Society 
-of  Friends  of  Philadelphia  accosted  me, '  he  writes, 
'  clad  in  their  simple  costume.  *  General,'  exclaimed 
die  eldest  of  the  party,  *  it  is  not  on  account  of  thy 
military  qualities  that  we  have  come  to  present  thee 
our  homage.  We  care  nought  for  thy  achievements ,. 
but  thou  art  the  friend  of  mankind,  and  thy  army 
liveth  in  perfect  order  and  discipline.  Wherefore 
have  we  come  to  pay  our  respects  to  thee." 

When  Rochambeau  returned  to  France  in  1783,  he 
was  received  with  high  honor  by  the  King,  and 
made  Governor  of  Picardy  and  Artois.  He  was 
raised  to  the  rank  of  Marshal  in  1791.  He  com 
manded  an  army  in  the  year  following,  but  soon  re- 
signed. After  narrowly  escaping  the  guillotine 
during  the  awful  reign  of  terror,  and  receiving  honors 


§ 


i  :■ 


» I  i  aliiil 


:.! " 


342  T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 

and  a  pension  from  Bonapar'tC,  this  distinguished 
soldier  died  on  llie  10th  of  May,  1807,  at  the  ad. 
vanced  age  of  eighty-two  years. 

General  Rochambeau  was  certainly  the  ablest  and 
most  experienced   commander   in   the  War  of  the 
Revolution.     Before    landing    on   our   shores,    this 
prudent  and  accomplished  veteran   had  seen  forty 
years'  service  in  the  best  disciplined  army  in  Europe. 
WhilQ   amongst   us,    his  own   conduct  and   that  of 
the  troops  under  him  were  beyond  all  praise.      1  o 
him,  mainly,  belongs  the  glory  of  capturing  Corn- 
wallis;  and  as  a  Catholic  Pioneer,  it   is  not  easy  to 
over-estimate   his    services    in    breaking   down    the 
barriers  of  religious  bigotry. 


^Bsa^mmsm 


The  Caihorlic  Pioneers  of  America,  343 


STEPHEN  MOYLAN, 

CA  VA LR Y  COMM.  \ NDER  IN  THE  REVOLUilONA R  J '  WAR, 

Died  A.  D.   i8u. 

TEPHEN  MOYLAN  wasbornaboutthemid- 
die  of  the  last  century,  at  Cork,  Ireland.  He 
was  a  brother  of  the  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Moylan, 
Catliolic  Bishop  of  his  native  city.  Coming  to 
America,  he  threw  himself,  heart  and  soul,  into  the 
struggle  for  Independence.  His  bravery  and  ex- 
cellent judgment  soon  secured  the  confidence  of 
Washington,  by  whom  he  was  made  aide-de-camp 
and  commissary  general.  He  was  finally  transferred 
to  the  command  of  a  division  of  cavalry;  and  in 
many  a  hard-contested  action  of  the  war  we  meet 
with  the  dashing  Moylan  s   Dragoons. 

**  Moylan,  the  Muratof  the  Revolutionary  army," 
says  a  recent  writer,  "  served  in  every  battle  in 
which  Washington  was  engaged  from  Boston  to 
Virginia.  He  was  Colonel  of  a  troop  of  horse  in 
the  Irish  Brigade,  or  'Pennsylvania  Liners',  and  on 
many  an  occasion  by  a  dashing  and  desperate 
charge  plucked  victory  from  the  flag  of  the  Briton, 
and  hurled  upon  his  ranks  disaster  and  defeat.     He 


1-' 

344 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


m 


was  never  captured,  though  leader  of  a  hundred 
raids  and  forays,  and  participator  in  a  score  of 
pitched  battles.  He  lived  to  see  the  flag  of  his 
adopted  country  wave  in  triumph  over  the  enemies 
of  his  race." 

At  the  close  of   the  war  he   ranked  a   full  Kriga- 
dicr-General,  and  in   subsequent  years  of  his  life  he 
was  always    called   General   Moylan.     One  of   the 
founders  of  the  Society  of   the   Cincinnati,  he  wrs 
jilso   the    first  and    last   President   of  the   Friendly 
Sons    of    St.     Patrick,    Philadelphia.     Besides    the 
Bishop  of  Cork,  General    Moylan    had    three   other 
brothers,  all  of   whom   took   an   acti\'e    part    in   es 
tablishing  the  independence  of  this  Republic.     The 
General  died  at  Philadelphia,  on  tiie  llth  of  April, 
i8ii,  and  was  interred   in  the  burial-ground  of   St, 
Mary's  Church. 

As  a  man,  a  patriot,  a  soldier,  and  a  Catholic, 
General  Moylan  was  equally  worthy  of  our  admira- 
tion. To  Poland  and  to  Ireland  the  American 
Revolution  was  indebted  for  its  two  most  brilliant 
cavalry  commanders.  The  memories  of  the  gallant 
Pulaski  and  the  brave  Moylan  will  be  kept  gieen 
as  long  as  the  thrilling  story  of  the  Revolution 
forms  a  chapter  in  the  world's  history. 

"  In  the  land  tliey  loved  they  have  sunk  to  rest, 
And  their  fame  burns  bright  in  each  freeman's  breast.** 


The  CatJwlic  Piomirs  oj  Amu uu^  345 


•       JOHN  CARROLL,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 

FIRST  BISHOP  AND  FIRST  ARCH  lilStlOr  OF  BALTIMORE, 

Died  A.  D.  1815. 

OTHER,"  said  one  of  her  pupils  to  the 
celebrated  Mother  Seton,  during  an  instruc- 
tion in  Christian  doctrine,  '*  I  met  the  word 
benignity y  m  my  catechism,  and  I  don't  know  exactly 
the  meaning  of  it."  "  My  dearest  one,'"  replied  the 
good  lady,  with  a  smile,  "  I  can  give  you  no  better 
answer  to  your  question  than  to  say :  *  Look  ar 
Archbishop  Carroll,  and  you  will  see  the  meaning  of 
that  word  on  his  countenance,  as  well  as  in  his 
manners.'  " 

There  is  a  volume  in  this  suggestive  remark,  and 
it  brings  us  at  once  to  an  extraordinary  man.  John 
Carroll  was  born  in  Maryland,  on  the  8th  of  Jannan', 
1735.  His  father,  Daniel  Carroll,  belonged  to  a  dis 
tinguished  Irish  family;'  while  his  mother,  Eleanor 
Darnall,  was  a  ni.tive  of  Maryland,  and  the  daughter 
of  a  wealthy  Catholic  gentleman.  The  boy  received 
his  first  education  at  a  private  boarding-school,  kept 
by  the  Jesuits  of  the  province,  where  himself  and 

'  The  Irish  form  of  the  name  is  O'C  f,i>i'/ioi!. 


•,  ''id 


346 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


|.-;.t 


his  illustrious  cousin,  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton, 
were  entered  as  scliolars,  in  1747.  In  the  following 
year  the)'  were  sent  to  Europe  to  continue  their 
studies  at  the  Jesuit  College  of  St.  Omers,  France. 
Piety,  close  application,  brilliant  talents,  and  amiable 
deportment  were  the  most  marked  characteristics 
of  young  Carroll  during  his  college  career. 

He  entered  the  novitiate  of  the  Society  of  Jesus 
in  1753,  made  his  course  of  philosophy  and  divinity 
at  Liege,  and  was  elevated  to  the  priesthood  in  his 
twenty-fifth  year.  Nobly  taking  the  cross  as  his 
portion,  he  made  over  his  patrimony  to  his  brothers 
and  sisters  in  America.  For  several  years  Father 
Carroll  filled  the  professor's  chair  in  various  colleges  ; 
and,  in  177 1,  was  received  as  a  professed  Father  in 
the  Society. 

By  the  brief,  Dominus  ac  Redcmptor,  the  Society 
of  Jesus  was  suppressed  in  1773.  Father  Carroll 
deplored  the  blow,  but,  in  common  with  the  other 
members  of  his  illustrious  Order,  he  submitted  as 
only  a  Christian  could  do — with  sublime  resignation. 
In  a  letter  to  his  brother,  Daniel  Carroll,'  after  ex- 
pressing his  grief  of  heart,  he  says  :  "  God's  holy 
will  be  done,  and  may  His  name  be  blessed  forever 
and  forever."  He  now  proceeded  to  England,  where 
he  received   the   appointment  of  chaplain  to  Lord 

•  Daniel  Carroll  was  one  of  the  authors  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States,  and  one  ot  the  three  delegates  from  Maryland  whose  names  are  sub- 
scribed thnreto.  It  is  said  that  the  national  Capitol  now  stands  on  what  was  once 
liis  farm  hy  the  Potomac. 


John  Carroll,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


347 


Arundel,  and  took  up  his  residence  at  VVarduur 
Castle.  When  the  quarrel  between  Great  Britain 
and  America  began  to  approach  a  crisis,  Katlier 
Carroll  at  once  took  sides  with  his  own  country. 

Bidding  adieu  to  his  friends  and  companions,  he 
sailed  from   England,  and  reached  his  native  land  in 
June,    1774.     His    first    impulse    was     to    visit    his  ' 
venerable    mother    and    devoted    sisters,    with    the 
former    of    whom     he    took     up    his  residence    at 
Rock  Creek.      Here,  at  first,   a  room   in  the  family 
dwelling,  and  subsequently  a  wooden   chapel,  were 
the  scenes  of  the  holy   priest's   ministerial  offices. 
The  wooden  chapel  has  since  been  superseded  by  a 
neat   brick  church,  which  is   now  well  known  under 
the  revered  name  of  Carroll's  Chapel. 

At  the  time  of  Father  Carroll's  arrival  in  America 
there  was  not  one  public  Catholic  church  in  Mar)- 
land.  Under  the  family  roof  only  could  the  holy 
sacrifice  be  offered  up  to  the  Almighty.  This  ex- 
plains why  the  old  Catholic  chapels  of  Maryland 
contam  large  hearths,  and  fireplaces  within  them, 
and  massive  brick  chimneys  projecting  through  the 
roofs.  In  the  once  beautifully  named  "Land  of 
the  Sanctuary"  there  were  then  only  nineteen 
Catholic  clergymen — all  ex-Jesuits,  and  nearly  all 
natives  of  Maryland. 

Father  Carroll  continued  to  reside  at  Rock  Creek. 
He  did  not  wish  to  leave  his  aged  mother,  to  whose 
declining  years  he  was  anxious  to  minister.     The 


34« 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


scene  of  his  missionary  labors  was  mainly  in  the 
neighboring  country.  He  always  travelled  on  horse- 
back, m. iking  long  and  frequent  journeys  to  distant 
C.ithofic  families  and  settlements,  riding  frequent!}' 
thirty  miles  or  more  on  sick  cal.s,  and  pa)-ing 
monthly  visits  to  a  small  congregation  of  Catholics 
in  Stafford  County,  Virginia,  which  was  distant  fifty 
or  sixtv  miles  from  his  home. 

After  about  eighteen  montiis  thus  spent  in  the 
active  duties  of  the  holy  ministry,  the  call  of  hi*^ 
country  summoned  Father  Carroll  to  her  service. 
Open  war  raged  between  England  and  the  thirteen 
colonies.  The  hopes  of  a  settlement  had  vanished, 
and  for  the  first  time  was  heard  the  macric  sound  vJ 
the  word  Independence.  To  gain  the  active  assist- 
ance of  the  Cemadians,  or  at  least  to  secure  their 
neutrality,  was  of  the  highest  importance. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  embassy  sent  by  Con- 
j^ress,  in  1776,  to  accomplish  the  object,  was  com- 
posed of  Benjamin  Franklin,  Samuel  Chase,  anrl 
Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton.  _  Father  John  Cairoli 
was  earnestly  requested  to  accompan\'  them,  "■  it 
being  supposed  that  from  his  religious  sentiments, 
character,  and  knowledge  of  the  French  language, 
his  presence  and  counsels  might  be  useful  in  pro- 
moting the  objects  of  the  mission  with  the  Cana- 
dians." He  acceded  to  llic  request  of  Congress;. 
While  on  the  way,  Fninklif  fell  sick,  and  his 
reverend  companion  nursed  In'm  with  true  dc- 
\-'>tedness. 


John  Carroll,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


349 


Indeed,  the  pn>st  and  the  philosopher  contracted 
a  sincere  friendship,  as  we  find  from  the  grateful 
letters  of  FrankHn.  "  As  to  myself,"  he  wrote,  "  I 
grew  daily  more  feeble,  and  I  think  I  could  hardly 
have  got  along  so  far  but  for  Mr.  Carroll's  friendly 
assistance  and  tender  care  of  me."  Franklin  did 
not  forget  the  patriotic  Jesuit,  when  a  Catholic 
Bishop  was  wanted  for  the  United  States.  The 
embassy,  however,  was  not  a  success. 

On  returning  to  Rock  Creek,  Father  Carroll  re- 
sumed the  duties  of  the  sacred  ministry,  which  he 
continued  to  perform  uninterruptedly  during  the 
entire  Revolutionary  War. 

Throughout  the  great  struggle  he  warmly  s\'m- 
pathized  with  the  cause  of  Independence.  In  his 
correspondence  he  explained  and  defended  its 
principles.  His  fervent  prayers  were  for  its  suc- 
cess; and  no  citizen  of  the  Republic  saw  with 
greater  joy  the  glorious  consummation  of  the 
contest. 

In  1784,  his  powers  as  a  controversialist  were 
summoned  into  service.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Wharton, 
his  former  friend  and  fellow-member  of  the  Society 
of  Jesus,  had  apostatized  from  the  Catholic  faith, 
and  wrote  a  public  letter  attacking  its  principles. 
Carroll's  reply  is  noted  for  its  clearness,  strength, 
and  calm,  triumphant   logic. 

lie  was  appointed  Prefect  Apostolic  towards  tlie 
close  of  1784,  and  first  Bishop  of  Baltinu^re  in  1789 


350 


The  CatJiolic  Pioneers  of  A  nierica. 


His  diocese  was  the  United  States,  containing,  at 
that  time,  about  thirty  thousand  Catholics,  and  some 
thirty  or  forty  priests.  This  small  flock  was  scat- 
tered at  widely  distant  points  from  Maryland  to 
Michigan,  and  along  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

Bishop  Carroll,  arming  hii"^.self  with  courage, 
patience,  and  prurience,  surveyed  this  immense  field, 
and  toiled  with  the  zeal  of  an  apostl-'.  Catholic 
education  received  his  earnest  attention.  George- 
town College  was  opened  in  1791,  and  tlie  first 
student  to  enter  his  name  on  its  books  was  William 
(iaston,'  in  after  \ears  a  famous  judge. 

On  visiting  Boston,  the  new  Bishop  was  well 
received.  "  It  is  wonderful,"  he  writes,  "  to  tell 
what  great  civilities  have  been  done  to  me  in 
Boston,  where,  a  few  years  ago,  a  '  Popish'  priest  was 
thought  to  he  the  greatest  mon  ,ter  in  creation. 
Many  here,  even  of  tlieir  principal  people,  have 
acknowledged  to  me  that  they  would  have  crossed 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  rather  than  meet  a 
Catholic  some  time  ago.  The  horror  which  was 
associated  with  the  idea  of  a  'Papist'  is  incredible; 
and  the  scandalous  misrepresentation  by  their 
ministers  increased  the  horror  every  Sunday."  How 
times  have  chanijed  since  then  ! 

The  horrors  of  the  Fiench  Revolution  drove  a 
large  number  of  learned  and  worthy  priests  to  this 
Republic,  and  nothing  could  have  been  more  timely 


'  See  his  life. 


John  Carroll,  D.  D.,  LL.  D, 


351 


and  welcome  than  their  arrival.  Tliese  brave  soldiers 
of  the  Cross  were  a  great  addition  to  the  feeble 
spiritual  army  that  acknowledged  the  leadership  of 
Dr.  Carroll. 

The  Catholic  Church  of  the  United  States  erew 
rapidly  in  numbers,  on  account  of  the  vast  stream 
of  immigration.  In  i8>^8,  the  Hol\-  Father  raised 
Dr.  Carroll  to  the  dignity  of  Archbishop,  and  new 
sees  were  established  at  Bardstown,  Boston,  Phila 
delphia,  and  New  York.  Schools  and  colleges  were 
founded.  The  Religious  Orders  were  planting 
themselves  in  all  directions  ;  and  in  the  midst  of 
these  happy  circumstances,  God  called  away  his 
faithful  servant.  Archbishop  Carroll  died  at  the  age 
of  eighty-one,  on  the  '}^<\  of  December,  181  5. 

Our  first  Bishop  was  equally  illustrious  as  a  man, 
a  priest,  and  a  patriot.  "  The  nearer  we  approach 
Dr.  Carroll  in  our  conduct,"  remarked  Prince 
Gallitzin,  "  the  nearer  we  approach  perfection."  He 
was  a  ripe  and  finished  scholar.  He  spoke  Latin, 
French,  and  Italian  with  rare  fluency.  He  was 
unanimously  selected  by  Congress  to  pronounce  the 
panegyric  on  Washington  on  February  22d,  1800. 
This  he  did  in  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Church.  Phila- 
delphia; and  the  discourse  is  a  real  master-piece. 

I  have  already  pointed  out  in  another  work,  that 
"  between  the  early  history  of  the  Americnn  Rcpnl)- 
h"c  and   the  American  Catholic    Church,  there   are 


ii 


>  ilistory  0/ the  Catholic  Chiitch  in  the  I  nited  Stiitts. 


35^ 


The  Catiiolic  Pioneers  of  America. 


iuany  interestiiifj  points  of  resemblance.     They  arose 
together.      They   grew  together.     Their  chiefs  were 
men    illustrious   in  their  day — beacon-lights   of  the 
past.     They  were  born  about  the  same  time,  the  one 
in   Maryland,    the  other    in    Virginia.     Washington 
carried    the    Republic    through    its    first    years    of 
struggle  and  fiery  conflict.     Carroll  guided  the  frail 
ship   ot    the    Church    over   the  stormy  billows  that 
broke    across    its    early    course.      In    1789,    George 
War-hington  was  elected  first  President  of  this  Repub- 
lic.     During  tlic  same  year,  the  Holy  See  appointed 
John  Carroll  first  Bishop  of   the  Catholic  Church  in 
this  Republic.     The  greatness  and  wisdom  of  Wash- 
ington  are   equally   conspicuous   in  his   life  and  his 
writings.     He   was   truly  the  father  of   his  country. 
In  the  character  of  Carroll  may  be  found  the  most 
splendid   virtues   that   can    adorn    humanity.      The 
wisdom  of  his  words  and  his   acts  throws  a  halo  of 
glory   around    his   illustrious    career.     He  was   the 
Patriarch    of    the    American  Church.     In    both  we 
recognize  incomparable  patriots.     Washington's  pa- 
triotism was   enhancitd  and  beautified   by  his  lofty 
morality,    and    his    profoundly    religious    instincts. 
The  venerated  Carroll  did  not  love  his  country  less 
because  he  loved  his  faith  more." 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America,  353 


ELIZABETH  ANN  SETON. 

FOUNDRESS  OF   THE   SISTERS    OE  CHARITY    IN    THE    UNITED 

ST  A  TES  OF  A  ME  RICA . 

Dkd  ^.   D.    1S2I. 

ILIZABETIi  ANN  BAYLEY,  better  known 
as  Mother  Scton,  was  born  on  the  28tli  of  Au- 
<;ust,  1774,  in  the  city   ol    New  York.      Ilcr 
father,  Dr.  Richard  Bayley,  was  an  eminent  American 
physician.     At  an  early  age,  death  deprived  her  of 
her  mother.  She  was  brought  up  in  the  doctrines  and 
practicesofthe  Protestant  Episcopal  Church, to  which 
her  parents  and  all  her  friends  belonged.    Miss  Bayloy 
received  the  best  education  the  times  could  afford, 
and  even    while  a  mere   girl   she    was   noted    for  a 
solid,    truth-loving    mind,    and    simple    nobility    of 
character.     It  is  related   that  she  wore  on  her  per- 
son a  small  crucifix,  and  was  often  heard  to  express 
he.r    astonishment  that   tins   custom   was  not  more 
general  among  persons  of   her  own   religious  belief. 
In  her  twentieth  year,  she  married  William  Seton, 
a  respectable    merchant  of   New  York.     A  voyage 
undertakei\    for  the   good   of   her   husband's  health 
led   to   her   convc  <iun.      In    180;.  taking    with    her 
her    eldest   daughter,  Anna,   she  accompanied    Mr. 


li^ 


354 


TJic  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


Seton  to  Italy,  wliither  he  went  by  the  advice  of 
his  physicians.  It  was,  however,  too  late.  Soon 
after  reacliing  Pisa,  he  expired,  leaving  his  widow 
in  a  strange  land  to  provide  for  five  young  children. 

In  her  misfortune  and  isolation  in  a  foreign 
country,  Airs.  Seton  found  true  friends  in  the 
distinguished  family  of  the  brothers  Philip  and 
Anthony  Fiiicci.  They  took  a  deep  interest  in  her 
happiness.  Not  satisfied  with  welcoming  her  to 
their  roof,  ihese  worthy  and  accomplished  Catholic 
crentlemen  were  more  sensible  to  the  wants  of  her 
soul  than  the  grief  of  her  heart,  and  the  virtues  of 
the  desolate  widow  inspired  an  ardent  desire  to  be- 
hold her  a  member  of  the  true  Church. 

Mrs.  Seton's  dispositions  were  hopeful,  for  whether 
at  Pisa  or  Florence  she  was  ever  attracted  to  the 
churches,  which  she  deliq;hted  to  visit.  "  How 
happy  we  should  be,"  she  writes  to  a  friend,  "  if 
we  believed  what  these  dear  souls  believe — that 
they  possess  God  in  the  Sacrament,  and  that  He 
remains  in  their  churches,  and  is  carried  to  them 
when  they  are  sick  !  When  they  carry  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  under  my  window,  while  I  feel  the  full 
loneliness  and  sadness  of  my  case,  I  cannot  stop  my 
tears  at  the  thought." 

She   began   to  pray    to  the   Blessed    Virgin,  and 


learned  to    make    the  Sicrn  of   the   Cross. 


I 


was 


cold,"    she    sa\'s,   "  with   the    awful    impression  the 
first  making  of  it  gave  me.     The  Sign  of  the  Cross 


lilirjabctk  A)in  St  ton. 


355 


of  Christ  on  me  !'  \\  ith  a  zeal  and  charity  beyond 
all  praise,  the  two  brothers  undertook  the  y;ood 
lady's  instruction.  Their  collection  of  letters  and 
controversial  compositions,  written  to  clear  tne 
doubts  of  Mrs.  Seton,  give  the  very  highest  idea  of 
the  learning,  prudence,  and  excellent  judgment  of 
these  wealthy  and  honorable  merchants  t)f  Florence. 
And  when  she  was  desirous  to  return  to  her  chil- 
dren at  New  York,  Anthony  Filicci,  who  wished  to 
\W\X.  America,  was  devoted  enough  to  embark  with 
Mrs.  Seton  to  continue  the  work  of  so  desirable  a 
conversion. 

On  her  arrival  in  her  native  city  she  frankly 
avowed  her  design  to  her  family,  but  met  with  a 
formidable  opposition.  They  appealed  to  her  in- 
terest, affection,  and  self-love  to  shame  her  of  a 
creed  professed  at  New  York,  as  they  said,  only  by 
low  and  ignorant  foreigners.  Nor  was  this  all. 
They  placed  near  her  Rev.  Dr.  Hobart,  one  of  the 
ablest  men  of  his  Church,  and  afterwards  Protest- 
ant Bishop  of  New  York.  Various  ministers  under- 
took to  show  her  the  errors  of  the  Catliolic  religion. 
"  I  was  assailed,"  she  writes,  "  on  tlie  subject  of  re- 
ligion by  the  clergy,  who  talked  of  Antichrist, 
idolatry,  and  urged  objections  in  torrents;  which, 
though  not  capable  of  changing  the  opinions  I  had 
adopted,  have  terrified  me  enough  t<^  keep  me  in  a 
state  of  hesitation."  . 

Quakers,   Anabaptists,  and    Methodistr,  joined  in 


im 


'\'\ 


i'l 


35^3  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 

the  chorus  of  persuasion  ;  but  "  all  that  will  not  do 
for  me,  '  writes  Mrs.  Seton.  *'  One  faith,  one  hope, 
one  baptism,  I  look  for,  wherever  it  is  ;  and  I 
often  think  my  sins,  my  miseries,  hide  the  light  ; 
yet  I  will  cling  and  hold  to  my  God  to  the  last  gasp, 
jjcgging  for  the  light,  and  never  change  until  I 
find  it." 

On  t'  :  other  hand,  by  the  advice  of  the  Messrs. 
Fillicci,  she  sought  the  wise  counsels  of  Bishop 
Carroll,  Father  Cheverus,  Dr.  Matignon,  and  Father 
Hurley,  a  learned  Augustinian.  She  also  carefully, 
laid  often  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  read  both  sides  of 
the  religious  controversy.  At  first,  the  result  was 
confusion,  darkness,  anguish  of  mind,  sorrow  of 
heart.  In  these  unhappy  moments,  she  would  drop 
'an  her  knees,  call  on  God,  and  in  the  words  of  the 
poet,  exclaim  : 

"  If  I  am  light.  Thy  grace  impart. 
Still  in  the  right  to  stay  ; 
If  I  am  -iorong,  oh  !  teach  my  heart 
To  find  the  better  way  !" 

The  careful  study  of  the  Followitig  of  Christy 
Sermons  of  Bourdaloue,  and  Life  of  St.  Francis  of 
Sales,  had  a  powerful  influence  on  her  mind.  Speak- 
ing of  the  first-named  work,  she  says  in  a  letter  to 
Father  Cheverus:  "  The  book  has  been  mv  consola- 
tion  through  the  severest  struggles  of  my  life,  and 
indeed  one  of  my  first  convictions  of  the  truth  arose 


Eltzdbctk  Ann  Seton. 


357 


H 


from  rcncctiii*^  on  the  account  a  Protestant  writer 
gives  of  Kempis,  as  having  been  remarkable  for  his 
study  and  knowledge  of  the  Moly  Scrii)tures,  and 
fervent  zeal  in  the  service  of  God.  1  remember 
falling  on  my  knees,  and  with  many  tears  inquired  of 
God,  if  he  who  knew  His  Scriptures  well,  and  so 
ardently  loved  Him,  could  have  been  mistaken  in  the 
true  Faith." 

At  length,  however,  the  brilliant  light  of  faith 
broke  on  her  soul — darkness  vanished.  On  Ash 
Wednesday,  1805,  she  went  to  old  St.  Peter's 
Church — then  the  only  Catholic  place  of  worship  in  the 
city  of  New  York  ;  and  was  received  into  the  One. 
Holy,  Catholic,  and  Apostolic  Church  by  a  venerable 
Irish  priest.  Rev.  Matthew  O'Brien,  in  the  presence  of 
the  congregation,  and  of  her  devoted  friend,  Mr. 
Anthony  Filicci.  ''Light  at  heart  and  cool  of 
head,"  as  she  terms  it,  Mrs.  Seton  returned  to  her 
home  to  prepare  for  her  first  confession. 

When  it  was  over,  she  wrote :  "  It  is  done — easy 
enough.  The  kindest  and  most  respectable  confessor 
is  this  Mr.  O'Brien — with  the  compassion,  and  yet 
firmness,  in  this  work  of  mercy  which  I  would  have 
expected  from  my  Lord  Himself.  Our  Lord  Him 
self  I  sa\y  alone  in  him,  both  in  his  and  my  part  of 
this  venerable  Sacrament  ;  for  oh!  how  awful  those 
words  of  unloosing  after  a  thirty  years  bondage  I 
felt  as  if  my  chains  fell,  like  those  of  St.  Peter,  at  the 
touch   of    the  Divine  messenger        She    made    her 


m 


33^ 


Tkc  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  incrica. 


First  Communion  with  sentiments  of  awe  and  love; 
and  was  soon  after  confirmed  by  Bishop  Carroll. 

The  noble  step  which  this  courageous  lady  took 
in  embracing  the  Catholic  Religion  placed  her  under 
the  ban  of  her  family.  By  her  wealthy  friends  and 
relatives  she  was  iminediately  abandoned.  To 
shield  her  children  from  want,  Mrs.  Seton  opened  a 
school  at  New  York.  But  she  found  kind,  unwaver- 
i'  g  friends  in  the  Messrs.  Filicci.  As  long  as  she 
lived,  she  received  from  these  generous,  warm-hearted 
Italian  gentlemen,  an  annual  pension  of  about  six 
hundred  dollars,  not  including  more  considerable 
donations  whenever  she  asked  anything  for  her 
orphans  and  patients. 

In  1808,  Rev.  Mr.  Dubourg,  President  of  St. 
Mary's  College,  Baltimore,  and  afterwards  Bishop  of 
New  Orleans,  having  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Mrs.  Seton,  induced  her  to  go  to  Baltimore,  and 
open  a  school  for  girls.  This  occupation,  however, 
did  not  satisfy  the  lady's  earnest  zeal.  She  longed 
to  assist  the  poor,  and  to  consecrate  her  life  to  God. 
But  whence  were  the  resources  to  come  for  the 
foundations  of  a  religious  establishment  ?  At  this 
very  time,  Mr.  Cooper,  a  young  convert,  left  $8,000 
to  Father  Dubourg  for  charitable  purposes.  The 
result  is  well  known. 

The  Sisters  of  Charity  were  instituted  at  Emmitts- 
burg,  Maryland,  on  the  ist  of  January,  1 809,  when 
Mother  Seton,  as  she  was  henceforth  to  be   called. 


Elizabeth  Ann  Set  on. 


359 


and  four  associates,  took  the  religious  habit.  The 
humble  community  increased.  Branch  houses  were 
soon  established  at  Philadelphia  and  New  York  • 
and  before  the  pious  foundress  passed  avvav,  the' 
Sisters  of  Charity  had  taken  firm  root  in  the  soil  of 
America. 

During  her  last  days,  when  asked  by  her  confessor 
what  she   considered  the  greatest  blessing  ever  be- 
stowed upon  her  by  Heaven,  Mother  Seton  replied 
*'  that  of  being  brought  into  the  Catholic  Church  '' 
She  died  amid  the  tears  and    lamentations  of  the 
community,  on   the  41!,  of  January,  1821,  murmur- 
ing,   "Jesus,    Mary.    Joseph!"     She  went    to    that 
•♦happy  home,"  where,  in  her  own  words, 

•'  From  every  eye  He  vri^es  ti.e  tear, 
All  sighs  and  sorrows  cease  ; 
No  more  alternate  hope  and  fear, 
But  everlasting  peace." 


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360  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America^ 


ii 


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11  : 


CHARLES  CARROLL  OF  CARROLLTON, 

ON£  OF  THE  SIGNERS  OF    THE   DECLARATION  OF  INDEPEN- 
DENCE. 


Died  A.  D.  1832. 

H  ARLES  CARROLL  OF  CARROLLTON, 
whose  name  shines  so  brightly  in  the  history 
of  this  Republic,  was  born  on  the  20th  of 
September,  1737,  at  An uapolis,  Maryland.  When  a 
youth,  it  is  said,  he  endeavored  to  trace  his  Hneage 
back  to  that  noble  Irish  Carroll  "  who  was  chief  of 
the  name,  and  was  defeated  at  the  battle  of  Knock- 
Lee  by  Gerald,  Earl  of  Kildare,  in  the  year  15 16." 

At  the  date  of  the  future  Signer's  birth,  the 
Catholics  were  severely  oppressed  by  those  odious 
enactments  known  as  penal  laws.  They  were  even 
forbidden  to  have  schools.  The  Jesuit  Fathers, 
however,  succeeded,  without  attracting  the  atten- 
tion of  the  authorities,  in  quietly  opening  a  gram- . 
mar  school  at  Bohemia,  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
Maryland.  Here  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton  re- 
ceived the  first  rudiments  of  knowledge. 

When  about  eleven  years  of  age,  he  was  sent, 
with  his  first  cousin,  John  Carroll,  afterwards  Arch- 
bishop of  Baltimore,  to  the  college  of  the  English 


H'l 


Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton. 


361 


TON, 

fNDEPEN- 


XTON, 

:  history 
20th  of 
When  a 
>  lineage 
chief  of 
"  Knock- 
ir  1 5 16." 
rth,  the 
e  odious 
ere  even 
Fathers, 
le  atten- 
a  gram- 
jhore  of 
llton  re- 

;as  sent, 
ds  Arch- 
English 


Jesuits  at  St.  Omers,  France,  where  he  pursued  the 
study  of  the  classics  for  six  years.  He  then  spent 
.1  year  at  the  college  of  the  French  Jesuits,  Rheims, 
and  two  years  at  the  College  of  Louis  le  Grand, 
Paris.  At  Bourges,  he  passed  another  year  in  the 
study  of  civil  law  ;  and  in  1757,  proceeded  to  London 
to  the  Inner  Temple,  and  earnestly  pursued  the 
study  of  common  law  for  about  seven  years.  An 
accomplished  gentleman,  with  a  cultivated  and 
mature  mind,  Charles  Carroll  returned  to  Maryland 
in  1764.  But  in  the  very  land  of  his  birth  he  found 
himself  almost  a  helot  oii  account  of  his  Fait!i. 

Still,  with  his  natural  abilities,  moral  worth,  su- 
perior education,  and  large  fortune,  he  started  on 
the  road  of  life  well  prepiircd  to  fight  its  stern  bat- 
tles. Despite  many  obstacles,  he  soon  took  his 
stand  as  a  man  of  mark.  In  1768,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  Darnell,  a  worthy  and  accomplished  young 
lady. 

Two  years  later,  we  find  him  engaged  in  one  of 
the  most  noted  political  questions  of  that  day. 
Under  the  signature  of  "  First  Citizen,"  he  boldly 
upheld  the  rights  of  the  people  in  opposition  to  the 
arbitrary  action  of  Governor  Eden,  of  Maryland. 
One  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  the  province  became 
his  antagonist.  The  result  was  an  exciting  news- 
paper controversy.  Unusual  learning  and  ability 
were  displayed  on  both  sides.  But  Carroll,  by  his 
close  logic,  his   bold  and   fearless  views,  gained  a 


If-^ 


1-^ 


t4 


m 


302 


77/f  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


triumphant  victory  for  the  popular  cause.  From 
all  quarters  he  received  congratulations.  His  fel- 
low-citizens of  Annapolis  turned  out  in  a  body  to 
thank  him.  If  his  opponents,  however,  were  un- 
able to  meet  his  reasons,  they  could  cheaply  insult 
him.  ♦•Papist,"  "Romanist,"  "Jesuit,"  and  other 
equally  refined  epithets  were  freely  thrown  at  the 
advocate  of  the  people's  rights.  The  Catholic  Re- 
ligion was  yet  in  contempt.  Hence,  neither  the 
position,  wealth,  nor  education  of  Charles  Carroll 
could  save  him  from  the  vile  vocabulary  of  reli- 
gious fanaticism. 

The  happy  result  of  this  controversy  raised  him 
in  the  eyes  of  his  countrymen.  He  had  gained  an 
enviable  reputation  as  a  man  of  much  learning, 
sound  principles,  liberal  views,  and  fearless  in- 
tegrity. In  1773-4-5,  he  performed  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  the  measures  of  opposition  and 
resistance  on  the  part  of  Maryland  to  the  aggres- 
sive colonial  policy  of  Great  Britain  during  those 
years.  Catholic  by  conviction  as  well  as  by  educa- 
tion, Mr.  Carroll,  in  common  with  the  Catholic 
body  of  the  country,  had  been  taught  to  revere  the 
great  principles  of  liberty.  They  were  familiar  with 
the  fact  that  Cardinal  Langton  and  the  Catholic 
Barons  had  forced  the  tyrant  John  to  recognize  and 
affirm  the  Magna  CJiarta,  They  had  been  taught 
to  respect  the  act  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  Pope 
Zachery,   in    denouncing  the    tyranny  of   taxation 


Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton, 


363 


without  representation,  centuries  before  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence  was  penned.  They  cherished 
the  same  great  principle  because  it  was  promul- 
gated in  that  glorious  charter  which  the  Catholic 
Peer,  Lord  Baltimore,  had  prepared  for  the  infant 
colony  of  Maryland,  The  established  recognition 
of  the  great  principles  of  the  American  Revolution 
by  the  highest  Catholic  authorities  for  ages  will  ac- 
count for  the  historical  fact,  that  the  Catholic  body 
of  the  country,  in  1776,  ardently  and  unanimously 
espoused  the  cause  of  freedom  and  popular  rights. 
In  the  day  of  trial,  the  Catholic  Religion  proved 
the  grandeur  of  its  principles.  It  produced  no 
Tories — no  traitors — no  oppressors  of  their  country !' 
From  the  very  beginning,  Carroll  grasped  the 
principles  involved  in  the  contest,  and  advocated 
complete  independence.  We  are  told  that,  as  early 
as  1 77 1,  when  conversing,  on  one  occasion,  with 
Samuel  Chase,  the  latter  remarked :  *'  Carroll,  we 
have  the  better  of  our  opponents — we  have  com- 
pletely written  them  down."  '•  Do  you  think," 
returned  Carroll,  ''  that  writing  will  settle  the 
question  between  us?"  *  To  be  sure,"  replied  the 
other.  *'  What  else  can  we  resort  to  ?"  "  The 
bayonet,"  was  the  answer ,  "  our  arguments  will  only 
raise  the  feelings  of  the  people  to  that  pitch  when 
open  war  will  be  looked  upon  as  the  arbiter  of  dis- 
pute." 


I  Dr.  K    H.  Clarke. 


^^^ 

1 1 

i 

i '  1 

l| 

i 
i. 

1 

1 
i 

1 

111  ) 


ri'  i 


364 


T/te  Catholic  Pioneers  0/  America. 


Charles  Carroll  took  an  active  part  in  the  repeal 
of  the  odious  penal  laws  against  Catholics.  These 
enactments  still  disgraced  the  statute  book.  In 
1775,  he  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Maryland 
"  committee  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  rights  ap.d  a 
form  of  government  for  this  State."  The  result  was 
that  the  great  principle  of  civil  and  religious  liberty, 
established  by  Lord  Baltimore,  was  again  restored 
"  in  the  Land  of  the  Sanctuary.' 

By  the  Continental  Congress  he  was  sent,  with 
Franklin  and  Chase,  to  win  over  Canada  to  the 
cause.  As  is  well  known,  Rev.  John  Carroll  accom- 
panied the  party.  If  the  embassy  failed,  it  was  from 
no  want  of  zeal  or  ability  in  the  envoys.  Charles 
Carroll  left  behind  him  a  valuable  journal  of  this 
voyage. 

Having  returned  home,  he  used  the  whole  weight 
of  his  influence  to  induce  Maryland  to  join  the 
other  colonies  in  declaring  for  complete  indepen 
dence.  He  was  entirely  successful.  In  1776,  he  had 
the  honor  of  being  chosen  to  represent  his  native 
State  in  the  Continental  Congress.  As  he  wrote 
Charles  Carroll  in  a  clear,  bold  hand  on  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence,  a  colleague  remarked, 
"There  go  millions.  '  "No,"  replied  another. 
"  there  are  several  Charles  CarroUs,  and  he  cannot 
be  identified."     Carroll,  hearing  this,    immediately 

'  An  inventory  of  Carroll's  property,  made  by  himself  in  1764,  sho>vs  that  he 
then  owned,  among  other  things,  forty  thousand  acrei  of  land,  twenty  houses 
m  Annapolis,  and  two  country  seats. 


m 


Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton, 


36s 


added  to  his  signature  "£>/  Carrollton^'  the  name 
of  the  estate  on  which  he  resided,  remarkiiii^  as  he 
did  90 :  "  They  cannot  mistake  .ne  no7v  /" 

He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  War. 
He  also  continued  an  active  and  influential  mem- 
ber of  the  Continental  Congress  till  1778,  when  the 
treaty  with  France  quieted  all  his  fears  for  the 
success  of  American  Independence  ;  and  feeljng  that 
his  duty  as  a  State  Senator  summoned  him  to  An- 
napolis, he  resigned  his  seat  in  Congress,  and  re- 
sumed that  in  the  Maryland  Senate.  In  1788,  he 
was  elected  United  States  Senator  from  Maryland, 
under  the  new  Federal  Constitution.  He  was 
again  elected  to  the  Maryland  Senate  in  1791,  re- 
maining  x  member  till  1801.  In  that  year,  upon 
the  defeat  of  the  Federal  party,  to  which  he  be- 
longed,  Carroll  retired  into  private  life.  He  was 
then  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  age. 

He  was  an  earnest  Catholic,  and  had  an  ele 
gant  chapel  erected  at  his  family  residence.  "  He 
was  so  faithful  in  assisting  at  the  divine  office,' 
says  Miss  Boyle,  "that  it  was  his  great  pleasure 
to  serve  the  priest  during  the  offering  of  the  Holy 
Mass.  In  the  monthly  visits  of  the  missionary 
priest,  Mr.  Carroll  was  the  first  person  on  his  knees 
in  the  confessional.  He  was  a  monthly  communi- 
cant for  many  years  before  his  death ;  and  so  ear- 
nest was  his  desire  to  repair  any  wrong  impres- 
.S)ons  caused  in  earlier  days,  that  he  selected  the 


t 

|iii 

1 

i«i 

■if 


'I  I 


366  The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 

High   Mass  at  eleven  o'clock  on  Easter  Sunday  to 
receive  Communion." 

While  the  whole  nation  was  celebrating  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  American  Independence,  on 
the  4th  of  July,  1826,  "the  year  of  Jubilee," 
there  remained  but  three  surviving  signers  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence — Thomas  Jefferson, 
John  Adams,  and  Charles  Carroll  of  CarrroUton. 
These  three  names  were  mingled  with  the  songs  of 
national  joy,  and  saluted  with  peals  of  artillery. 
But  two  of  the  illustrious  trio  saw  not  another  sun. 
Adams  and  Jefferson  passed  from  the  scenes  of 
earth  that  same  day.  Charles  Carroll  alone  re- 
mained— sole  survivor  of  the  fifty-six  patriots  of 
1776. 

The  undivided  homage  of  the  United  States  was 
now  reserved  for  the  last  of  that  glorious  band.  In 
the  words  of  Lossing,  "  the  good  and  the  great 
made  pilgrimages  to  his  dwelling,  to  behold  with 
their  own  eyes  the  venerable  political  patriarch  of 
America;  and  from  the  rich  storehouse  of  his  in- 
tellect he  freely  contributed  to  the  deficiencies  of 
others."  In  1829,  the  assembled  Bishops  of  the 
First  Council  of  Baltimore  proceeded  in  a  body  to 
pay  their  respects  to  the  great  patriot.  He  re- 
ceived them  with  graceful  dignity,  and  was  deeply 
affected  at  such  a  high  compliment. 

In  his  last  days  he  uttered  these  remarkable 
words:     "I  have  lived  to  my  ninety-sixth  year;  I 


Charles  Carroll  oj  Carrollton, 


}^7 


have  enjoyed  continued  health  :  I  have  been  blessed 
with  great  wealth,  prosperity,  and  most  of  the  good 
things  which  the  world  can  bestow— public  appro- 
bation, esteem,  applause:  but  what  1  now  look  back 
on  with  the  greatest  satisfaction  to  myself,  is  that  / 
have  practised  the  liuiics  of  my  religion.' 

The  end  came  peacefully— shining  with  the  light 
of  immortality.     It  was  an  impressive  scene.     The 
illustrious  old  man,  fasting,  sat  in  an  arm-chair  in  his 
bedroom  ;  for  he  well  knew  that  he  was  about  to  re- 
ceive Holy  Communion  for  the  last  time  in  this  world. 
A  crucifix  stood  on  the  table      The  blessed  candles 
were  lighted.     The  priest  was  there  in  his  rich  robes. 
Children,  grandchildren,    and    old  negro  servants, 
with  tears  in   their   eyes,  were  kneeling  devoutly 
around.     When    the   solemn    religious    ceremonies 
were   over,  he  was   lifted  back  to  bed  :  and  on  the 
14th  of  November,  1832,   the  sad  news  flashed  over 
the  country  that   Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton  was 
no  more. 

"During  thirty  years  passed  in  public  life,  says 
Latrobe,  "  embracing  the  most  eventful  period  in 
the  history  of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Carroll,  as  a 
politician,  was  quick  to  decide  and  prompt  to  exe- 
cute. His  measures  were  open  and  energetic.  He 
was  more  inclined  to  exceed  than  fall  below  the  end 
which  he  proposed.  As  a  speaker,  he  was  concise 
and  animated  ;  the  adv^antages  of  travel  and  society 
made  him  graceful     books,  habits  of  study,  and  acute 


3^3 


flu  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  America, 


m 

'i'j  ^1 


observation,  made  him  impressive  and  instructive. 
As  a  writer,  he  was  remarkably  dignified  ;  his  ar- 
rangement was  regular:  his  style  was  full  without 
being  diffuse,  and  though  highly  argumentative,  was 
prevented  from  being  dull  by  the  vein  of  polite 
learning  which  was  visible  throughout." 

He  had  a  well-selected  but  old-fashioned  library. 
He  cared  little  for  modern  works.  Among  the 
valued  books  referred  to  in  his  letters,  we  notice 
Bossuet  s  famous  History  oJ  the  Variations  of  the 
Protestant  Churches,  and  the  Abb6  McGeoghegan's 
History  of  Ireland.  Milner's  End  of  Controversy  was 
one  of  his  favorites.  In  his  last  years  he  also  passed 
considerable  time  with  Cicero's  De  Senectute,  which 
he  grew  to  love  so  much  as  to  write  to  a  friend, 
"  After  the  Bible,  read  Cicero." 


llie  Catiiolic  Pioneers  of  Anurua. 


369 


GILBERT  MOTIER  DE  LAFAYETTE, 

THE  FAITHFUL  FRIEND  AND  BE  A  l^E  COMPANION  OF  h^ASHING- 
TON  DURING  THE  WAR  OF  THE  RESOLUTION. 

Died  A.  D.  1834. 

ILBERT  MOTIER  DE  LAFAYETTE'  was 
born  of  an  ancient  and  noble  family,  in  the 
castle  of  Chavagnac,  France,  on  the  6th  of 
September,  1757 ;  and  a  few  months  later  his  brave 
father  fell  at  the  battle  of  Minden.  His  education 
was  suited  to  his  rank.  While  yet  a  mere  youth,  he 
married  a  daughter  of  the  princely  house  of  Noailles, 
and  adopted  the  profession  of  arms. 

The  young  Marquis,  while  stationed  on  military 
duty  at  Metz — that  famous  fortress  which  has  since 
witnessed  such  gigantic  conflicts  and  even  changed 
masters — heard  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
and  the  bold  struggle  for  freedom  in  America.  It 
was  an  event  that  seized  his  fancy  and  his  heart. 
He  resolved  to  offer  his  sword  to  the  sacred  cause 
of  human  liberty.  Among  the  few  to  whom  he  told 
his  design,  was  the  Count  de  Broglie,  who  tried  in 
vain  to  persuade  him  to  remain  in  France.     "  I  have 


■  The  full  name  was  Mary  Paul  Joseph  Koch  Yois  Gilbert  Motier,  Marquis  de 
Lafayette. 


370 


Tlie  Catholic  Pioneers  oj  A  merua. 


If  \  y 


seen  your  uncle  die  in  the  wars  of  Italy,"  he  said. 
*'  1  witnessed  your  father's  death  at  tiie  battle  of 
Minden  ,  iiid  I  will  not  be  accessory  to  the  ruin  of 
the  only  remaining  branch  of  the  family.  ' 

The  Government  put  diflRculties  in  the  way  of 
Lafayette :  but  he  secretly  purchased  a  ship  at 
Bordeaux,  and  after  a  long  and  exciting  voyage 
landed,  in  1777,  at  a  port  in  South  Carolina.  He- 
was  well  received.  A  dinner  was  given  in  his  honor 
at  Charleston.  *'  We  drank  each  other's  health, 
he  writes,  *'  and  endeavored  to  talk  in  Englii^h, 
which  I  am  beginning  to  speak  a  little." 

After  riding  nearly  nine  hundred  miles  to  Phila- 
delphia, the  young  French  nobleman — then  barely 
twenty  jears  of  age — delivered  his  letters  to  Con- 
gress,butat  fiistmet  withacoldreception.  Strangers 
were  in  more  than  abundance.  Lafayette,  seeing 
the  state  of  affairs,  at  once  penned  the  following 
note  to  Congress : 

••  After  the  sacrifices  I  have  made,  I  have  a  right 
to  exact  two  favors — one  is,  to  serve  at  my  own  ex- 
pense ;  the  other,  to  serve  as  a  volunteer."  This 
simple,  manly  appeal  had  its  effect.  Congress 
granted  him  the  rank  of  Major-General  in  the  army 
of  the  United  States. 

The  American  army  was  then  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Phildelphia,  and  Washington  met  Lafayette 
during  a  visit  to  that  city.  After  a  warm  greeting, 
he  invited  the  young  stranger  to  make  headquarters 


Gilbert  Matter  l)c  Lafayette. 


371 


he  said. 
)attle  of 
e  ruin  of 

way   of 

ship   at 

;  voyage 

na.     Ho 

lis  honor 

health, 

Englitih, 

to  Phila- 

n  barely 

to  Con- 

L 

trangers 
seeing 
ollowing 

e  a  right 
own  ex- 

"  This 
Congress 
he  army 

eighbor- 
,afayette 
greeting, 
quarters 


his  home.     '*  I  cannot  promise  you  the  luxuries  of  a 
court,'   said  Washington  ;  "but  as  you  have  become 
an    American    soldier,   you    will    doubtless   accom 
modate  yourself  to  the  fare  of  an  American  armv." 

A  review  of  the  troops  was  j^oing  on,  when 
Lafayette  arrived  at  the  camp.  He  describes  them 
as  "about  11,000  men,  ill  armed,  and  still  worse 
clothed.  Many  soldiers  were  almost  naked.  The 
best-clad  wore  hunting  shirts — i.ni^e  gray  linen  coats 
which  were  much  used  in  Carolina." 

"  We  must  feel  embarrass  .  l,"r^marku.i  Washing- 
ton, "to  exhibit  ourselvc;:  before  in  officer  who  hai" 
just  quitted  French  troops." 

"  It  is  to  learn,  and  not  to  teach,  that  I  came  here," 
replied  the  brave  Lafayette. 

Lafayette  first  heard  the  crash  of  arms  at  the 
battle  of  Brandywine,  where,  in  rallying  his  troops,  a 
ball  passed  through  his  leg.  "  Take  care  of  him," 
said  Washington  to  the  surgeon,  "as  if  he  were  my 
son,  for  I  love  him  the  same." 

It  is  impossible  in  this  brief  sketch  tp  follow 
Lafayette  closely  in  his  distinguished  American 
career,  from  the  day  when  he  shed  his  first  blood  on 
.th£. field  of  Brandywine,  through  many  eventful 
campaigns,  till,  at  length,  he  had  the  extreme 
pleasure  of  seeing  Washington  receiving  the  sword  of 
Cornwallis  at  Yorktown — five  years  later.  The  value 
of  his  services  to  our  cause  was  immense.  It  was 
during  a  visit   to  his  native  land,  in    1778,   that   he 


p 

f 

'  i '' 

H 

is!; 

':       f 
i 

H- 

■rl        ' 

:i 

':!        I 

ii, 

i  '           is 

'ii! 

:  ■       'S 

1 

it  : 

r^i 

,!;: ''' 

P  ■ 'i 

^^     J 

f^^f 

f    -r 

V     : 

1 

»i..i^.- 

mi 


^J^f  :■■■  ;! 


^:!lf'!i! 


572 


77/^  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


obtained  the  promise  of  a  French  army  to  aid  the 
cause  of  Independence. 

He  had  been  enjoined  not  to  ask  for  French 
anxiliary  troops  for  the  United  States,  because  the 
popular  feehng  of  jealousy  against  foreigners,  and 
especially  against  Frencftmen,  not  only  rendered 
Congress  itself  averse  to  this  project,  but  made  that 
body  believe  it  would  excite  general  anxiety  and  dis- 
content. Lafayette  foresaw,  however,  that  before 
the  succor  could  be  ready,  the  United  States  would 
feel  its  necessity,  and  that  it  might  arrive,  as  did 
actually  occur,  in  a  decisive  moment  for  the  safety 
of  the  cause.  He  boldly  took  upon  himself  the  re- 
sponsibility of  soliciting  in  the  name  of  Congress 
what  he  had  be«n  positively  forbidden  to  ask — a 
succor  of  auxiliary  troops  sent  to  a  port  of  the 
United  States,  and  he  made  choice  of  Newport, 
Rhode  Island,  which,  having  been  evacuated  by  the 
English,  and  being  in  an  island  suitable  for  defence, 
was  more  likely  than  any  other  to  obviate  all  kinds 
of  difficulties.  As  is  well  known,  an  army  under  the 
noble  and  experienced  Count  de  Rochambeau  was 
sent  out  in  1780.' 

It  was  while  Washington  and  Lafayette  wtfre  re- 
turning (rom  the  conference  with  Rochambeau  and 
De  Terney,  at  Hartford,  that  Arnold  s  treachery 
was  happily  discovered — just  in  time.  In  a  letter  to 
the  French  Ambassador,  dated  Robinson  House,  op' 


*  See  life  of  Rochambeau. 


^  '  /9 


Gilbert  Mutter  De  Lafayette, 


373 


posite  West  Point,  Sept.  26th,  1780,  Lafayette  says ; 
"  When  I  parted  from  you  yesterday,  to  come  anci 
breakfast  here  with  General  Arnold,  we  were  far 
from  foreseeing  the  event  which  1  am  now  going  to 
relate  to  you.  You  will  shudder  at  the  danger  to 
which  we  have  been  exposed.  You  will  admire  the 
miraculous  chain  of  unexpected  events  and  singular 
chances  that  have  saved  us;  but  you  will  be  still 
more  astonished  when  you  learn  by  what  instru- 
ments this  conspiracy  has  been  formed.  West 
Point  was  sold — and  sold  by  Arnold — the  same  man 
who  formerly  acquired  glory  by  rendering  such  im- 
mense services  to  his  country.  He  had  lately  en- 
tered into  a  horrible  compact  with  the  enemy,  and 
but  for  the  accident  that  brought  us  here  at  a 
certain  hour,  but  for  the  combination  of  chances 
that  threw  the  Adjutant-General'  of  the  English 
army  in  the  hands  of  some  peasants,  bej'ond  the 
limits  of  our  stations,  West  Point  and  the  North 
River,  we  should  both  at  present,  in  all  probability, 
be  in  possession  of  the  enemy. 

"  When  we  set  out  "yesterday  for  Fishkill,  we  were 
preceded  by  one  df  my  aides-de-camp,  and  one  of 
General  Knox's,  who  found  General  Arnold  and 
his  wife  at  breakfast,  and  sat  down  at  table  with 
them.  Whilst  they  were  tocrether,  two  letters  were 
given  to  Arnold,  which  apprised  him  of  the  arres- 
tration    of    the    spy.     He   ordered  a   horse   to   be 

>  Andre. 


ill 


1 

■  [ 

I**  ! 

'i  ' 

! 

ill' 

i 

i  ■' 

'I ' 

1 

374 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


saddled,  went  into  his  wife's  room  to  tell  her  he 
was  ruined,  and  desired  his  aide-de-camp  to  inform 
General  Wa^liington  that  he  was  going  to  West 
Point  and  would  return  in  the  course  of  an  hour. 

"On  our  arrival  here,  we  crossed  the  river  and 
went  to  examine  the  works.  You  may  conceive 
our  astonishmtMit  when  we  learnt,  on  our  return, 
that  the  arrested  spy  was  Major  Andre,  Adjutant- 
General  of  the  English  army ;  and  when  amongst 
his  papers  were  discovered  the  copy  .of  an  impor 
tant  council  of  war,  the  state  of  the  garrison  and 
works,  and  observations  upon  various  means  of 
attack  and  defence,  the  whole  in  Arnold  s  own 
handwriting. 

"The  Adjutant-General  wrote  also  to  the  General, 
avowing  his  name  and  situation.  Orders  were  sent 
to  arrest  Arnold  :  but  he  escaped  in  a  boat,  got  on 
board  the  English  frigate  the  Vulture,  and  as  no 
person  suspected  his  flight,  he  was  not  stopped  at 
any  post.  Colonel  Hamilton,  who  had  gone  in 
pursuit  of  him,  received  soon  after,  by  a  flag  of 
truce,  a  letter  from  Arnold  to  the  General,  in  which 
he  entered  into  no  details  to  justify  his  treachery, 
and  a  letter  from  the  English  commander,  Robert, 
son,  who,  in  a  very  insolent  manner,  demanded  that 
the  Adjutant-General  should  be  delivered  up  to 
them,  as  he  had  only  acted  with  the  permission  of 
General  Arnold. 

"The  first  care  of  the  General'  has  been  to  as 


Washington. 


M/    I 


Gilbert  Motier  De  Lafayette. 


375 


semble,  at  West  Point,  the  troops  that,  under 
various  pretences,  Arnold  had  dispersed.  We  re- 
main here  to  watch  over  the  safety  of  a  fort,  that 
the  English  may  respect  less  as  they  become  better 
acquainted  with'it.  Continental  troops  have,  been 
summoned  here,  and  as  Arnold's  advice  may  de 
termine  Clinton  to  make  a  sudden  movement,  the 
army  has  received  orders  to  be  prepared  to  march 
at  a  moment's  warning." 

Lafayette  was  in  France  when  England  acknowl 
edged  the  independence  of  the  United  States  by 
solemn  treaty,  and  he  was  the  first  to  inform  Con- 
gress of  the  joyful  event.  In  1784,  he  visited  this 
Republic,  and  was  so  warmly  received  that  his  tour 
was  a  continual  triumph. 

The  prominent  share  which  Lafayette  took  in 
the  unhappy  events  that  preceded  and  followed  tb«' 
Revolution  in  France  need  not  be  dwelt  upon  here. 
It  belongs  to  history.  His  visit  to  the  United 
States  in  the  summer  of  1824  was  full  of  touching 
memories.  The  American  people  paid  him  their 
homage,  and  gave  expression  to  their  gateful  en 
thusiasm.  This  brave,  generous-hearted  old  soldier 
died  on  the  28th  oi  May,  1834.  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years.  He  has  been  called  "  the  hero  of  two 
hemispheres." 


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y//^  Cat/wlic  Pioneers  uj  America, 


JOHN  LOUIS  DE  CHEVERUS, 

FIRST  BISHOP  OF  BOSTON,  AND  AFTERWARDSCARDINAL-ARCH- 

BISHOF  OF  BORDKA  UX. 

Died  A.  D.  1836. 

• 

lOHN  LOUIS  DE  CHEVERUS  was  born 
at  Mayenne,  F* ranee,  in  1768.  His  mother 
was  a  lady  of  great  piety  and  prudence. 
"  My  son,  "  slie  would  often  repeat,  after  the  ex- 
ample of  Queen  Blanche,  "  God  is  my  witness  how 
much  I  love  you  ;  but  rather  would  I  see  you  dead 
before  me  than  that  you  should  commit  a  single 
mortal  sin." 

During  play  time  he  was  known  as  "the merriest 
lad  at  school,"  and  in  hours  of  study  he  was  the 
best  student.  O  1  the  dav  of  his  First  Communion, 
he  dedicated  himself  to  God  one  day  to  become 
His  minister.  After  finishing  a  brilliant  course  of 
studies  at  the  College  of  Louis  Ic  Grand,  the  Sor- 
bonne,  and  other  institutions,  he  was  ordained  in 
1790,  and  two  years  later  became  parish  priest  of 
Mayenne. 

Calamities  were  now  hastening  upon  happy 
France.     The  followers  of  religion  heard  the  fierce 


..n  i  1; 


John  Louis  De  C he  virus. 


171 


storms  of  the  Revolution  roar  around  them.  All 
was  danger.  Society  appeared  to  have  gone  mad. 
Among  the  exiles  who  fled  in  disguise  trom  Paris  to. 
England  was  Father  de  Cheverus.  There  he  learned 
our  language,  and^  supported  himself  by  becoming 
a  teacher  of  French  and  mathematics. 

In  1795,  he  received  a  letter  from  his  old  friend 
and  countryman,  Father  Matignon,  then  Catholic 
pastor  at  Boston,  inviting  him  to  come  to  that  city 
and  share  his  labors  in  a  new  and  fruitful  vineyard. 
He  at  once  made  over  his  patrimony  to  his  brother 
and  sisters,  and  embarked  for  New  England,  arriving 
at  Boston  in  the  spring  of  1796. 

It  will  easily  be  understood  that  these  two 
Catholic  missionaries  encountered  a  large  share  of 
prejudice  in  the  capital  of  New  England.  But 
their  learning,  humility,  simplicity,  and  graceful 
manners  soon  produced  a  marked  change.  Bigotry 
was  disarmed.  In  the  persons  of  its  ministers,  the 
Catholic  Religion  became  respected  and  honored 
where  before  it  had  only  been  a  reproach.  Never 
did  virtue  and  learning  gain  a  more  decided  victory 
over  prejudice  and  intolerance. 

After  some  time,  Father  Cheverus  began  to  preach 
in  public.  His  discourses,  remarkable  for  their 
simple,  earnest  vigor,  attracted  Protestants  in  crowds 
to  hear  him.  When  he  paid  his  first  visit  to  the 
Indians  of  Maine,  they  we;re  delighted.  The  chil- 
dren of  Father   Rale  warmly  welcomed  the  gentle 


1'. 

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378  T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 

black-gown,  who  continued  ever  after  to  visit  them 
once  a  vear. 

When  Boston  was  ravaged  with  yellow  fever,  his 
heroism  made  the  whole  city  his  friends.     In  such 
high  esteem  was  the  excellent  priest  held,  that  when 
President   John    Adams    visited    Boston,   and   was 
honored  by  a  public  banquet,  the  two  highest  seats 
at  table  were  assigned  to  the  President  and  Father 
Cheverus.   The  Legislature  of  Massachusetts  invited 
him  to  revise  the  oath  to  be   taken  by  all  citizens 
before  elections,  fearing  that  there  might  be  some- 
thing in  it  offensive  to  Catholics.     When  the  good 
missionary  prepared  his  own  formula,  an  .  in  person 
submitted    it    to   the    Legislature,  it  was  at    once 
enacted  into  a  law.     He  opened  a  subscription  list 
for  a  new  church  ;  at  the  head  of  it  stands  the  name 
of  President  Adams.     Indeed,  Protestants  vied  with 
Catholics  in  their  contributions  for  the  erection  of 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Cross. 

In  1 8 10,  Dr.  Cheverus  was  consecrated  Bishop  of 
Boston.  But  his  change  of  rank  made  no  change  in 
his  humble  mode  of  life,  or  in  his  simple,  modest, 
and  generous  bearing  towards  his  old  friends.  To 
the  end,  he  treated  the  venerable  Father  Matignon 
as  his  superior  in  wisdom  and  merit. 

On  several  occasions  he  sustained  public  contro- 
versies with  Protestant  ministers,  in  which  his  ripe 
scholarship,  mental  keenness,  and  courteous  and 
amiable  temper  always  gave  him  great  advantage. 


f.ill 


John  Louis  De  Cheverus, 


379 


it  them 

;ver,  his 
[n  such 
at  when 
nd   was 
St  seats 
Father 
invited 
citizens 
;  some- 
le  good 
person 
t   once 
ion  list 
e  name 
id  with 
;tion  of 

jhop  of 
ange  in 
lodest, 
s.  To 
tignon 

:ontro- 
lis  ripe 
us  and 
intage. 


He  was  so  revered  that  it  was  the  custom  of  mothers 
to  call  their  children  John  in  his  honor.  Once  a 
child  was  brought  to  him  for  baptism.  "  Its  name?" 
inquired  Dr.  Cheverus.  "  John  Cheverus  Bishop,''  he 
was  told.  "  Poor  child,"  he  replied,  "  God  preserve 
you  from  ever  becoming  such." 

In  1816,  he  accomplished  his  long-cherished 
design — the  establishment  of  the  Ursuline  Convent 
near  Boston  for  the  education  of  young  ladies.  He 
was  in  his  native  France  when,  in  after  years, 
he  heard  of  its  destruction  at  the  hands  of  a  mob 
of  fanatical  ruffians.  When  the  good  Father 
Matignon  died,  the  Bishop  was  plunged  into  pro- 
found grief.  The  remains  of  the  hpnored  dead  were 
borne  in  procession  through  the  streets  of  Boston, 
followed  by  Dr.  Cheverus,  wearing  his  mitre,  and 
accompanied  by  the  clergy  and  the  whole  congrega- 
tion ;  both  press  and  people  testified  their  profound 
respect. 

Before  the  daily  wear  and  tear  of  a  most  active 
and  laborious  life,  the  health  of  Bishop  Cheverus 
began  to  give  way.  His  physicians  warned  him  that 
if  he  remained  in  that  stern  climate  he  could  not 
expect  to  live  much  lon<^er.  For  three  years  he 
hesitated,  however,  about  returning  to  his  native 
France,  for,  as  he  expresses  it,  "  his  heart  was  torn  in 
pieces"  at  the  thought  of  leaving  his  dear  diocese. 
The  French  monarch  urged  him  to  return,  and  he 
was  offered  the  vacant  see  of  Montauban.     He  ac- 


n'  w  •*■ 


If 


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m^ 


380 


7/4^  Catfiolic  Pionetrs  of  America . 


cepted.  From  every  side  generosity  brought  him 
gifts,  proving  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by 
all  creeds  and  classes.  Among  others,  a  worthy 
grocer  brought  him  six  thousand  francs — his  whole 
fortune — and  laid  it  at  the  Bishop's  feet.  The  kind 
but  firm  refusal  to  receive  it,  brought  only  tears  to 
Jhe  good  man's  eyes.  Adieus  came  to  him  from  all 
parts  of  the  Union.  "  Although  placed  at  a  great  dis- 
tance from  me,"  writes  the  Archbishop  of  Baltimore, 
"you  were,  next  to  God,  my  firmest  support.  Will 
it  be  possible  for  me  to  govern  my  province  after 
your  departure?" 

On  leaving  Boston,  he  was  escorted  by  over  three 
hundred  vehicles„which accompanied  him  many  mi'es 
oil  the  road  to  New  York.  He  embarked  for  France 
in  the  fall  of  1823,  and  on  his  arrival,  took  possession 
of  the  see  of  Montauban.  Full  of  years  and  honors, 
he  died  Cardinal-Archbishop  of  Bordeaux  in  1836. 
Two  nations  mourned  his  loss. 

Cardinal  Cheverus  had  a  finely-tempered  mind  and 
heart.     He   was  a    true    gentleman,  and   a   mode' 
Christian.     On  one  occasion,  while  walking  outside 
the  gates  of  Bordeaux,  he  was  accosted  by  a  beggar 
The  Cardinal,  who  could  never  refuse  an   alms,  put 
his  hand  into  his  pocket  and  gave  the  man  a  franc 
**  Monseigneur,"    said    one    of    his    attendants,    "  I 
think  you   have   made  a  mistake.     The  man  yoi\ 
have  just  given  money  to  is  a  Jew."     '*  Thank  you,' 
replied  the  Cardinal,  "  it  is  true  I  did  not  know  it.' 


iMati/teio  Carey. 


381 


Then,  recalling  the  beggar,  he  put  a  five-franc  piece 
into  his  hand,  adding,  '*  There  are  so  few  wlio  would 
give  him  anything. 


MATTHEW  CAREY, 

JOURNALIST^    AUTHOR     PUPL/Sf/ER,  PATRIOT,  AND  PHILAW 

THRO  PI  ST. 

Died  A.  D.   1839 

MATTHEW  CAREY,  one  of  the  most  gifted 
men  of  modern  times,  was  born  at  Dublin- 
Ireland,  on  the  28th  of  January,  1760.  Ho  becam*' 
a  printer  at  the  age  of  fifteen.  Wiiile  still  a  mere* 
youth,  he  published  A  Letter  to  the  Catholics  of  Ire 
land^  in  which  the  galling  oppressions  of  tlie  Penal 
Code  were  lashed  with  virtuous  indignation.  For  this 
he  was  prosecuted,  and  had  to  fly  to  Paris,  where  he 
was  befriended  by  Dr.  Franklin. 

After  a  year's  exile,  the  brave  young  Irishman 
returned  to  Dublin,  and  edited  the  Freeman's  Jour 
nal.  In  October,  1783,  with  the  aid  of  his  father — 
a  wealthy  baker — he  started  the  Volunteer  s  Journal, 
.which  did  good  service  for  his  native  land.  Carey, 
however,  was  a  bold  writer,  and  on  account  of  an 
attack  on  the  British  ministry,  he  was  arrested,  and 
imprisoned  for  a  time  in  Newgate. 


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382 


7/te  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


\ 


Finding  it  impossible  for  him  to  live  with  safety 
under  the  English  Government,  he  directed  liis 
steps  to  the  United  States,  and  arrived  at  Philadel- 
piiia  on  the  15th  of  November,  1784.  Two  montiis 
later  he  started  the  Pennsylvania  Herald,  "the  first 
newspaper  in  America  that  furnished  accurate  re- 
ports of  the  legislative  debates."  Carey  was  his 
own  reporter, 

Washington  was  a  subscriber.  "I  purposed,"  he 
wrote  to  Carey,  on  the  15th  of  March,  1785,  "so 
soon  as  I  understood  vou  intended  to  become  the 
publisher  of  a  newspaper  in  Philadelphia,  to  request 
a  copy  of  your  weekly  production  might  be  sent  to 
me.  I  was  the  more  pleased  with  this  determina- 
tion, when,  by  a  letter  from  my  friend  the  Marquis 
de  Lafayette,  I  found  he  has  so  interested  himself 
in  your  behalf." 

In  1786,  Carey  published  a  very  able  satire  en- 
titled T/u  Plagi-scurriliad ;  a  Hudibrastic.  Poem. 
Even  then,  there  was  a  bad  feeling  against  foreigners 
among  a  certain  class  of  American  snobs,  and  none 
took  more  occasions  to  exhibit  it  than  a  rival  editor. 
Colonel  Oswald,  of  The  Gazetteer ;  "  Oswald,"  says 
Father  Finotti,  "may  be  considered  the  y?r.y/  Know- 
Nothing  in  America." 

Carey  was  not  pleased,  and  the  result  was  a  poem 
and  a  duel.  "Our  disputes,"  he  writes  in  the  pre- 
face to  the  satire,  "  originated  irom  some  illiberal 
remarks  written   in    his  paper  against  newcomers. 


Matthew  Carey, 


383 


As  a  newcomer,  I  tliought  myself  called  upon  to 
answer  thcni.  .which  I  did  on  November  9th, 
1785,  under  the  signature  of  A  Citizen  of  the 
Worldy  A  duel  \'as  fought.  Carey  was  shot 
through  the  thigh-b^ne,  and  laid  up  for  over  a 
year. 

In  1787,  this  ever-active  Pioneer  published  The 
American  Museum,  the  first  well- conducted  majia- 
zine  issued  in  this  Republic.  George  VV^ashington 
heads  the  list  of  subscribers.  Though  it  lived  for 
six  years,  the  perodical  was  not  a  financial  success. 

Carey  issued  the  first  Catholic  Bible  printed  in 
the  United  States,  in  1790,  and  at  one  time  he  was 
the  largest  bookseller  in  the  countr)-.  In  1793,  he 
founded  the  Hibernian  Society  in  behalf  of  Irish 
immigrants. 

Nor  was  his  pen  ever  idle.  He  wrote  on  yellow 
fever,  politics,  banking,  railroads,  agriculture,  relig- 
ion, political  economy,  history, — in  short,  on  every- 
thing. His  chief  historical  work  is  VindtcicB  Hiber- 
niece;  ox  Ireland  Vindicated.  It  is  *•  an  attempt  to  de- 
velop and  expose  a  few  of  the  many  errors  and  mis- 
representations respecting  Ireland  in  the  Histories  of 
]Viay,  Temple,  VVhitelock,  Bor]ase,  Rushworth, 
Clarendon,  Cox,  Carte,  Leland,  Warner,  Macaulay, 
Hume,  and  others,  particularly  in  the  legendar}' 
tales  of  the  pretended  conspiracy  and  massacre  of 
1641."  This  excellent  work,  which  appeared  in  1819, 
was  the  fulfilment  of  a  long-cherished  design  to  aid 


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384 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


the  cause  of  Catliolic  emancipation  in  Ireland.     It 
met  with  flattering  success. 

From  this  time  ho  devoted  himself  almost  entirely 
to  politics  and  commerce.  Between  1819  and  1833 
he  published  no  less  than  fifty-nine  separate  pamph- 
lets on  the  subject  of  the  protective  tariff  alone,  and 
some  passed  through  many  editions.'  He  stood  in 
the  front  rank  as  a  writer  on  political  economy. 
This  eminjnt  man  died  at  Philadelphia  on  the  i6th 
of  September,  1839,  '^'^  ^^^®  '^a^  °^  seventy- nine 
years.  He  was  attended  in  his  last  moments  by  his 
intimate  friend,  the  Very  Rev.  Dr.  Moriarty,  O.  S.  A., 
and  the  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Gartland. 

Matthew  Carey  wielded  a  powerful  pen,  and 
touched  no  topic  that  he  did  not  handle  with  clear- 
ness and  ability.  His  mind  was  keen,  logical,  and 
comprehensive.  Few  were  his  equals  in  discussion, 
and  none  surpassed  him.  "  He  came  in  collision," 
writes  Father  Finotti,  "with  the  famous  hybrid, 
William  Cobbett,  but  conquered  him." 

"  He  has  given  more  time,  money,  and  labor  to 
the  public,"  remarks  Joseph  Reed,  "than  any  man 
I  am  acquainted  with,  and  in  truth,  he  founded  in 
Philadelphia  a  school  of  public  spirit." 

This  bold  and  enterprising  Catholic  Pioneer — the 
first  to  report  the  proceedings  of  Congress  and  to 
establish  a  well  conducted  magazine  in  the  United 
States — was  a  man  upright,  sincere,  and  charitable ; 

•  Finotti. 


Demetrius  Augustine  Gail  it  sin.  385 

and  with  him  time  was  not  money,  but  merit.' 
•'For  jj  long  series  of  years,"  says  Hunt,  "he  had 
a  charity  list  on'vviiich  were  enrolled  the  names  of 
hundreds  to  whom  he  rcjrularly  gave,  once  eacli 
fortnight,  a  donation  of  groceries  and  other  neces- 
saries of  life." 


i  labor  to 


DEMETRIUS  AUGUSTINE  GALLITZIN, 

THE  RUSSIAN PRhWE,  AND  APOSTLE  OF  WESTERN  PENNSVL^ 

VA  MA . 

Died  A.  D.  1841. 

ONE  of  the  best  illustrations  that  truth  is  stranger 
and  more  beautiful  than  fiction,  is  to  be  found 
in  the  life  of  Prince  Demetrius  Augustine  Gallitzin. 
He  was  born  on  the  22d  of  December,  1770,  at  the 
Hague,  his  father.  Prince  Gallitzin,  being  at  the 
time  Ambassador  to  Holland  from  the  Court  of 
Russia.  The  name  6f  Gallitzin  is  one  of  the  most 
ancient  and  distinguished  in  the  history  of  Russia. 
The  mother  of  the  future  prince-priest  belonged  td 
a  noble  German  family.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Field-Marshal  Count  de  Schmettau,  one  of  the 
favorite  heroes  of  Frederick  the  Great. 

His  worldly  and  ambitious  father  wished  to  see 

»  Flnotti. 


3^6 


T/u  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  mer^a. 


I  \\ 


If'^: 


«i 


Demetrius  a  famous  soldier ;  and,  of  course,  his 
whole  education  was  of  the  most  complete  military 
cast.  He  scarcely  ever  heard  of  religion.  Indeed, 
in  his  boyhood  he  was  more  familiar  with  the  names 
of  Voltaire  and  Diderot  than  with  the  sacred  names 
of  Jesus  and  Mary.  Kis  father  was  an  unbeliever. 
An  infidel  education  had  darkened,  if  not  destroyed, 
tlie  sublime  faith  that  lighted  up  his  mother's  early 
years.  She  was,  however,  in  the  highest  sense,  a 
gifted  lady,  whose  great  personal  attractions  were  onlv 
surpassed  by  her  beauties  of  mind  and  heart  ;  and 
God  in  His  own  good  time  mercifully  led  her  back 
to  His  Holy  Church.  In  1786,  after  a  severe  sick- 
ness, a  light  broke  upon  her  soul — she  again  became 
a  Catholic.  A  year  later,  her  only  son  received  the 
grace  of  conversion,  entered  the  Church  of  ages,  and 
took  the  name  of  Augustine.  The  Princess  was 
happy.  Ever  after  this  the  good  lady  and  her 
son  lived  as  if  they  had  "  but  one  heart  and  one 
soul." 

"An  intimacy  which  existed  between  our  family 
and  a  certain  celebrated  French  philosopher,"  writes 
Father  Gallitzin,  in  referring  to  his  own  conversion, 
"had  produced  a  contempt  for  religion.  Ra^ised  in 
prejudice  against  revelation,  I  felt  every  disposition  to 
ridicule  those  very  principles  and  practices  which  I 
have  since  adopted.  .  .  .  During  those  unfortunate 
years  of  my  infidelity,  particular  care  was  taken  not  to 
permit  any  clergymen  to  come  near  me.     Thanks  to 


Demetrius  Augustine  Gallitzin. 


387 


the  God  of  infinite  mercy,  the  clouds  of  unbelief 
were  dispersed,  and  revehition  adopted  in  our 
family. 

"  I  soon  felt  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  invcstij^at- 
ing  the  different  religious  systems,  in  order  to  find 
the  true  one.  Although  I  was  born  a  member  oi 
the  Greek  Church,  and  although  all  my  male  rela- 
tives, without  any  exception,  were  either  Greeks  or 
Protestants,  yet  did  I  resolve  to  embrace  that 
religion  only  which  upon  impartial  inquiry  should 
appfcar  to  me  to  be  the  pure  religion  of  Jesus  Christ. 
My  choice  fell  upon  the  Catholic  Church,  and  at  the 
age  of  about  seventeen  I  became  a  member  of  that 
Church." 

This  conversion  did  not  divert  the  young  Prince 
from  the  military  career  which  his  father  wished  him 
to  embrace.  In  1792,  he  was  ^lide  de-camp  to  the 
Austrian  General  Van  Lilien,  who  commanded  an 
army  in  Brabant,  at  the  opening  of  the  first  cam- 
paign  against  France.  But  the  sudden  death  of  the 
Emperor  Leopold  and  the  assassination  of  the  King 
of  Sweden,  acts  considered  as  the  work  of  the 
Jacobins,  induced  Austria  and  Prussia  to  dismiss  al'. 
foreigners  from  theirarmies.  Young  Gallitzin  being 
thus  deprived  of  his  military  position,  his  father 
advised  him  to  travel  to  finish  his  education. 

He  arrived  in  the  UnitedSt^tesin  the  fall  of  1792, 
accompanied  by  a  young  German  mi^ionary.  Rev. 
Mr.  Brosius,  his  tutor.     The  siglit  of  the  spiritual 


[f ifflBR  f 


I    • 


388- 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  inerica. 


% 


destitution  which  the  Catholics  of  our  country 
suffered,  aroused  in  his  soul  a  sacred  desire  for  the 
priesthood.  In  November.  1792,  Prince  Gallitzin,  in 
his  twenty-second  year,  entered  the  Seminary  of  St. 
Sulpice,  recently  founded  at  Baltimore.  Here  lie 
edified  all  by  his  modesty  and  virtue.  Yet  the 
goodness  of  his  heart  received  increased  luslre  from 
the  solidity,  originality,  and  brilliancy  of  his  mind. 
He  was  elevated  by  Bishop  Carroll  to  the  priesthood 
on  the  1 8th  of  March,  1795. 

Prince  Gallitzin,  though  the  second  priest  ordained 
in  the  United  States,  can  be  truly  considered  the 
^rst-born  of  the  American  Church.  Father  Stephen 
Theodore  Badin,  ordained  some  time  previously,  had 
been  made  a  deacon  before  leaving  his  native 
Prance  ;  and  the  United  States  gave  him  only  the 
final  consecration  and  commission.  But  Father 
Gallitzin  was  all  our  own.  Ours  from  the  first  page 
of  his  theology  to  the  moment  he  arose  from  the 
consecrating  hands  of  the  Bishop,  forever  and  for- 
ever to  bear  the  seal  of  the  Lord's  anointed.' 

The  young  priest  desired  to  remain  in  the  happy 
seclusion  of  the  Seminary,  and  obtained  admission 
as  a  member  of  the  priests  of  St.  Sulpice.  Bishop 
Carroll,  however,  could  not  dispense  with  his  ser- 
vices. For  four  years  he  labored  on  various  mis- 
sions.  He  set  about  the  grand  work  of  establishing 
a  purely  Catholic  colony,  in  1799,  and  selected  for 


'  Brownson 


Dcnutrius  A ii^ustuic  Gallitzin, 


389 


country 
re  for  the 

allitzin,in 
lary  of  St. 

Here  be 

Yet    the 
usne  from 
his  mind, 
priesthood 

st  orthuncd 
siciered  the 
her  Stephen 
viously,had 
his    native 
Am  only  the 
But    Father 
he  first  page 
se   from  the 
ever  and  for- 
nted.' 

n  the  happy 
-d  admission 
)ice.  Bishop 
with  his  ser- 
various  mis- 
f  establishing 
selected  for 


his  domain  tlie  uninhabited  and  uncuUivated  rei/ions 
of  the  Alleghanies,  in  what  is  now  Cambria  County, 
Pennsylvania.  Here  he  found  a  small  number  of 
Catholics  scattered  amid  the  rocks  and  woods. 

Out  of  the  clearings  of  these  untrodden  forests 
rose  up  two  buildings,  constructed  out  of  the  trunks 
of  roughly-hewn  trees;  of  these  one  was  intended 
for  a  church — the  other  a  presbytery  for  their 
pastor.  On  Christmas  Eve  there  was  not  a  winking 
eye  in  the  little  colony.  And  well  there  might  not 
be!  The  new  church,  decked  with  pine,  and  laurel, 
and  ivy  leaves,  and  blaziiig  with  such  lights  as  the 
scant  means  of  the  faithful  could  afford,  was  await- 
ing its  consecration  to  the  worship  of  God  ! 

There  Gallitzin  offered  up  the  first  Mass,  to  the 
great  edification  of  his  flock,  that,  although  made 
up  of  Catholics,  had  never  witnessed  such  a 
solemnity;  and  to  the  great  astonishment  of  a  few 
Indians,  who  had  never  in  their  lives  dreamed  of 
such  a  wonderful  ceremony.  Thus  it  was,  that  on 
a  spot  in  which,  scarcely  a  year  previous,  silence  had 
reigned  over  vast  solitudes,  a  Prince,  thenceforward 
cut  off  from  every  other  country,  had  opened  a  new 
one  to  pilgrims  from  all  nations,  and  that  from  the 
wastes  which  echoed  no  sounds  but  the  bowlings  of 
the  wild  beasts,  there  went  up  the  divine  song, 
Gloria  hi  Excelsis  Deo.  Thus  began  that  glorious 
Catholic  settlement  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  which 
was  destined  to  grow  and  flourish  like  a  beautiful 


390 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America^ 


Bffi; 


mountain-flower    in    the  midst  of   the    wilderness ! 

In  February,  i8cK),  Father  Gallitzin,  in  a  letter  to 
Bishop  Carroll,  says:  "  Our  church,  which  was  only 
begun  in  harvest,  got  finished  fit  for  service  the 
night  before  Christmas;  it  is  about  forty-five  feet 
long  by  twenty-five,  built  of  white  pine  logs,  with  a 
very  good  shingle  roof.  .  .  .  There  is  also  a 
house  built  for  me,  sixteen  feet  by  fourteen,  besides 
a  little  kitchen  and  a  stable.  I  have  now,  thanks 
be  to  God,  a  little  home  of  my  own,  for  the  first 
time  since  I  came  to  this  country,  and  God  grant  that 
I  may  be  able  to  keep  it.  The  prospect  of  forming 
a  lasting  establishment  for  promoting  the  cause  of 
religion  is  very  great  ;  the  country  is  amazingly 
fertile,  and  almost  entirely  inhabited  by  Catho 
lies.  .  .  ,  The  congregation  consists  at  present  of 
about  forty  families,  but  there  is  no  end  to  the 
Catholics  in  all  the  settlements  round  about  me  ; 
what  will  become  of  them,  if  we  do  not  soon  re- 
ceive a  new  supply  of  priests,  I  do  not  know.  I 
try  as  much  as  I  can  to  persuade  them  to  settle 
around  me." 

The  whole  cost  of  this  spiritual  and  material  col- 
onization was  at  first  individually  borne  by  Father 
Gallitzin.  He  lived  on  the  farm  which  Captain 
McGuire,  a  generous  Irish  Catholic,  had  given  for 
the  service  of  the  church.  But,  in  order  to  attract 
emigration  around  him,  be  bought  vast  tracts  o\ 
land,  that  he  sold  in  farms  at  a  low  rate,  or  even 


Demetrius  Augiisting  Gallitzin, 


391 


gave  to  the  poor,  relying  on  his  patrimony  to  meet 
his  engagements.  The  wilderness  soon  put  on  a 
new  aspect.  The  settlers  follo>ved  the  impulses  of 
the  great  missionary,  who  kept  steadfastly  in  view 
the  improvement  of  his  work.  His  first  care  was 
to  get  lip  a  grist-mill;  then  arose  numerous  out- 
buildings; additional  land^s  were  purchased,  and  in 
a  short  time  the  colony  grew  in  extent  and  pros- 
perity. 

In  carrying  out  his  work,  the  Prince-priest  received 
material  assistance  from  Europe.  At  first,  sums  of 
money  were  regularly  remitted  to  him  by  his  mother. 
With  her  he  kept  up  a  fond  correspondence,  which 
his  great  love  for  her  rendered  one  of  the  consola- 
tions of  his  life.  But  he  lost  this  good  and  tender 
parent  in  1806. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  could  not  pardon  one  of 
his  nobles  for  becoming  a  Catholic  priest ;  and  he 
deciiled  that  Prince  Gallitzin  could  inherit  no  part 
of  his  father's  property. 

Writing  to  her  brother,  however,  the  Princess 
Maria  said  :  "  You  may  be  perfectly  easy.  I  shall 
divide  with  you  faithfully,  as  I  am  certain  you  would 
with  me.  Such  was  the  will  of  our  deceased  father 
and  of  our  dearest  mother;  and  such  also  will  be 
the  desire  of  my  affectionate  love  and  devotedness 
towards  you,  my  dearest  brother." 

On  various  occasions  she  sent  large  sums  to  the 
missionary,  who  employed  them  in  meeting  his  en- 


11 


\i  ■-•I 


It  i 


■     ■'■;-        ,  j«.t> 

^h--^     .,.    f'-  ^■■ 


39-J 


'JVie  Catholic  Piouetrs  of  America, 


gagements  and  in  relieving  the  poor.  But  on  the 
whole,  it  amounted  to  only  a  small  part  of  the 
revenues  to  which. he  was  entitled.  When  the 
Princess  married  the  insolvent  Prince  of  Salm,  she 
said  no  more  about  remittances.  Thus  the  saintly 
man  lost  nearly  all  his.  patrimony.  But,  with  the 
most  perfect  resignation,  he  offered  the  sacrifice  to 
God.  He  cared  not  for  wealth,  except  to  aid  the 
poor,  the  unfortunate,  or  the  Church.  "  If  he  had 
possessed  a  heart  of  gold,"  said  one  who  knew  him 
well,  **  he  would  have  given  it  to  the  unfortunate." 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  energy  and 
"snlightened  zeal  of  this  apostolic  man.  We 
have  a  graphic  picture  of  his  appearance  on  one 
of  his  forest  journeys,  when  he  had  reached  his 
lixty-fourth  year.  For  it  we  are  indebted  to  the  pen 
of  Rev.  Father  Lemcke,  O.  S.  B.,  afterwards  his 
successor.  In  the  summer  of  1834,  the  good  Father 
was  sent  from  Philadelphia  to  the  assistance  of  the 
aged  missionary.  After  several  days  of  rough  travel 
he  reached  Munster,  a  village  some  miles  from 
Loretto.  Here  Father  Lemcke  procured  an  Irish 
lad  to  pilot  him  on  his  way. 

'*  As  we  had  gone."  he  says,  **  a  couple  of  miles 
through  the  woods,  1  caught  sight  of  a  sled  drawn 
by  a  pair  of  vigorous  horses,  and  in  the  sled  a  half- 
recumbent  traveller,  on  every  lineament  of  whose 
face  could  be  read  a  character  of  distinction.  He 
was  outwardly  dressed  in  a  threadbare  overcoat,  and 


Demetrius  August inc  Gallitzin. 


393 


on  his  head  a  peasant's  hat  so  worn  and  dilapidated 
that  no  one  would  have  rescued  it  from  the  garbage 
of  the  streets.  It  occurred  to  me  that  some  accident 
had  happened  to  the  old  gentleman,  and  that  he 
was  compelled  to  resort  to  this  singular  mode  of 
conveyance. 

*'  While  I  was  taxing  my  brain  for  a  satisfactory 
solution  of  this  problem,  Tom,  my  guide,  who  was 
trotting  ahead,  turned  round,  and  pointing  to  the 
old  man,  said  :  '  Here  comes  the  priest.'  I  immediately 
coaMed  up  my  nag  to  the  sled.  *  Are  you  really  the 
pastor  of  Loretto  ?'  said  I.  *  I  am,  sir."  *  Prince 
Gallitzin  ?'  '  At  your  service,  sir,'  he  said,  with  a 
hearty  laugh. 

**'You  are  probably  astonished,'  he  continued, 
^fter  I  handed  him  a  letter  from  the  Bishop  of 
Philadelphia,  '  at  the  strangeness  of  my  equipage. 
But  there's  no  help  for  it.  You  have,  no  doubt, 
already  found  out  that  in  these  countries  you  need 
not  dream  of  a  carriage  road.  You  could  not  drive 
ten  yards  without  danger  of  an  overturn.  I  am  pre- 
vented, since  a  fall  which  I  have  had,  from  riding  on 
horseback,  and  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  now 
to  travel  on  foot.  Besides,  I  carry  along  everything 
required  for  the  celebration  of  Holy  Mass.  I  am 
now  going  to  a  spot  where  I  have  a  mission,  and 
where  the  Holy  Sacrifice  has  been  announced  for  to- 
day. Go  to  Loretto  and  make  yourself  at  home 
until  my  return  to-night ;  unless,  indeed,  you  should 


'  4 


,'    ! 


'»»M 


ill 


''4fi 


Im 


394 


TAe  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


prefer  to  accompany  me.' "     Father   Lemcke  was 

only  too  happy  to  bear  him  company. 

For  forty-one  years  this  humble  man,  this  truly 
great  and  good  priest,  led  upon  the  mountains  of 
Pennsylvania,  a  most  perfect  Christian  life.  When 
warned  to  take  more  care  of  himself,  he  would 
answer,  in  his  own  energetic  style :  "  As  the  days 
have  gone  by  when  by  martyrdom  it  was  possible 
for  us  to  testify  to  God's  glory  upon  earth,  it 
becomes  our  duty,  like  the  toil-worn  ox,  to  remain 
hitched  to 'the  plough  in  the  field  of  the  Lord." 

On  Easter  Sunday,  1841,  Father  Gallitzin,  being 
seventy-one  years  of  age,  had  early  in  the  morning 
taken  his  seat  in  the  confessional.  After  dis 
charging  these  duties,  he  bravely  braced  up  his  re-' 
maining  strength  to  ascend  the  altar  for  the  cele- 
bration of  Mass.  When  it  was  over  he  took  to  his 
bed — the  bed  from  which  he  was  destined  never  to 
rise.  On  the  6th  of  May,  his  pure  and  princely 
spirit  passed  to  the  bosom  of  God. 

The  venerable  Father  Gallitzin's  best  eulogy  is 
his  work.  He  erected  t\\Q  first  chapel  in  what  now 
comprises  the  dioceses  of  Pittsburg,  Alleghany  City, 
and  Erie.  His  cherished  Loretto  is  the  most  Catho- 
lic village  in  the  United  States.  Not  till  the 
traveller  has  pressed  the  soil  of  Cambria  county 
does  he  feel  that  he  is  in  a  truly  Christian  land,  as 
he  catches  the  sight  of  ten  Catholic  churches  and 
three    monasteries — all   of  which  cropped   out  of 


Di'tmtrius  Augustine  Gallitzin.  395 

Loretto, .under  I.e  creative  and  fostering  hands  of 
Gallitizin.'  What  share  he  had  in  its  material  pros- 
perity may  b-  judged  from  the  fact  that  he  spent 
over  $150,000  in  its  improvement.  Though  for 
many  years  Vicar-General  of  the  Bishop  of  Phila- 
delphia, he  firmly  refused  all  offers  of  being  raised 
to  the  episcopal  dignity.  Having  renounced  the 
dignities  of  the  world,  he  did  not  aspire  to  those  of 
the  Church. 

Few,  very  few  indeed,  are  the  princes  of  Europe 
who  have  earned  a  place  among  the  Catholic 
Pioneers  of  America ;  but  a  halo  of  immortal  glory 
snrrounds  the  beautiful  memory  of  the  apostolic 
Gallitzin.     In  memoria  ceterna  erit  Justus, 


^  Lemck*. 


> 


H     ' 


396 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


W. 


It'     !■■ 


r:rf 


WILLIAM  JAMES  MacNEVEN,  M.  D., 

THE  SCHOLAR,  PATRIOT,  PHYSICIAN^  AND  PHILANTHROPIST, 

Died  A.  D.   1841. 

ILLIAM  JAMES  MacNEVEN,  whose 
name  must  ever  hold  an  honored  place  in  the 
history  of  his  country,  was  born  at  Ballyna- 
hovvne,  County  of  Galw.iy,  Ireland,  on  the  21st  of 
March,  1763.  "My  family,'  he  says,  "possessed, 
in  fee  simple,  a  small  landed  estate  about  a  mile 
south  from  Aughrim  and  Kilcommodan  Hill.  An 
eventful  battle  was  fought  there  on  the  12th  of 
July,  1691,  between  the  forces  of  King  James  II. 
and  King  William,  and  my  early  intimacy  with 
every  inch  of  the  field  gave  my  thoughts,  ever  after, 
an  invariable  direction  to  the  unfortunate  relations 
of  Ireland  with  England. 

^  ♦'  My  father  was  descended  from  one  of  that  na- 
tional party  that  stood  out  for  Ireland  in  the  war 
of  Cromwell,  and  who  were  ultimately  driven  by 
the  conqueror  into  the  wilds  behind  the  Shannon- 
net  knowing  where  else  to  banish  them.  There 
my  family  lived,  like  others  of  the  old  race,  in  ob- 
scurity  and    independence,  true  to  their  religion, 


i 


Wiliiam  James  Mac N even,  M.D,  397 

full  ot  love  of  Irish  nationality,  traditionary  pride, 
and  aversion  to  England," 

The  boy  lost  his  mother  while  a  mere  child,  and 
his  early  training  devolved  mainly  on  a  good  aunt. 
He  tells  us  that  when  he  was  about  to  leave  home, 
she  gave  him  much  excellent   advice,  and   blessed 
him  with  a  relic  of  the  True  Cross,  which  had  re- 
mained for    generations    a  sacred  heirloom  in   the 
family.     The  penal  laws  prevented  Catholics  from 
receiving  an  education  in  Ireland,  and  at  the  age  of 
twelve,  William   James  was  sent  to  Germany  to  his 
uncle,    Baron   William    O'Kelly  MacNeven,  one  of 
the  medical  lights  of  that  day,  and  physician  to  the 
Empress  Maria  Teresa.     The  Baron  lived  at  Praijue. 
Young   MacNeven   spent  eight  fruitful  years  with 
his  uncle.     He  received  a  thorough  cl  issical  educa- 
tion, passed  through  the  medical  school  of  Prague, 
and  finished  his  professional  studies  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Vienna,  where  he  took  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Medicine  in   1784. 

Dr.  MacNeven  now  returned  to  his  native  land, 
and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Dub- 
lin. But  his  soul  burned  with  just  indignation, 
the  more  he  contemplated  the  wrongs  of  unhappy 
Ireland.  He  saw  at  a  glance  that  the  penal  code 
against  Catholics  was  a  diabolical  instrument  to  en- 
slave the  Irish.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  raise  his 
voice  against  that  hnteful  and  illiberal  Protestant 
ascendency  which  robbed  his  Catholic  countrymen 


Iri 


'■'1' 

hi 

u 


.    il 


M 


398 


77/^  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


of  their  rights  and  their  property.  He  was  a  dele- 
gate at  the  famous  Catholic  convention  which  met 
at  Dublin  in  1792,  and  his  speech  on  that  occasion 
produced  a  great  sensation.  At  one  point  he  re- 
ferred to  "  Protestant  ascendency,"  as  it  was  then 
called. 

"  It  was  this  ascendency,"  exclaimed  Dr.  Mac- 
Neven,  "that  in  the  reigns  of  Elizabeth  and  James, 
like  a  ferocious  tiger,  devastated  the  land  of  our 
fathers,  and  after  establishing  its  den  on  a  depopu- 
lated waste,  surrounded  it,  in  a  succeeding  age,  with 
the  horrors  of  mental  darkness;  it  was  this  ascen- 
dency that,  breaking  through  the  sympathies  of 
nature,  and  the  obligations  of  eternal  justice,  estab- 
lished  the  slow  tortures,  the  recreant  prohibitions, 
the  unnatural,  unmanly  enormities  of  the  penal 
code." 

From  this  time,  MacNeven  was  admired  by  the 
Irish  Catholics,  and  stood  forth  as  one  of  their  most 
earnest  advocates.  He  joined  the  Directory  of  the 
United  Irishmen  in  1796,  and  in  the  following  year 
he  was  sent  as  their  r'^presentative  to  France.  He 
was  arrested,  however,  by  the  English  authorities  in 
1/98,  and  kept  a  prisoner  till  1 802.  On  his 
lioeration,  he  proceeded  to  France,  and  entered  an 
Irish  Legion  in  the  Army  of  Napoleon. 

*'  I  accepted  of  a  commision  in  that  corps,"  he 
writes  to  a  friend,  ''  for  the  purpose  of  learning 
tactics,  and  of  going  with  it  to  Ireland  ;  but  while  at 


\i  t/iiam  James  MacNeven,  M.D. 


399 


Hrest,  and  in  its  neighborhood,  it  was  evident  to 
me  ihat  tliis  same  corps  was  only  held  up  as  a  scare- 
crow to  friglitcn  England  into  a  peace — and  that 
we  were  in  reality  made  mere  instruments,  by 
Bonaparte,  to  answer  his  own  selfish  views.  This 
was  not  all ;  but  he  sought  through  this  association 
of  Irishmen  to  agitate  their  country,  and  thereby 
bring  England  the  sooner  to  iiis  terms.  1  could  not 
lend  myself,  after  that,  to  so  mischievous  a  purpose, 
and  I  accordingly  resigned." 

Seeing  his  hopes  for  Ireland  repeatedly  doomed 
to  disappointment,  the  patriotic  physician  sailed  /or 
America,  and  landed  at  New  York  on  the  4th  of 
July,  1805.  After  spending  some  weeks  with  his 
dear  friend  Thomas  Addis  Emmet,'  he  opened  an 
office,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  His 
skill,  learning,  and  exalted  personal  character  won 
immediate  recognition.  In  1808,  he  was  called  to 
fill  the  chair  of  obstetrics  in  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons,  which  three  years  later  he  changed 
for  chat  of  chemistry  and  materia  medica.  He 
established  the  first  chemical  laboratory  ever  seen 
in  New  York.  In  1826,  he  resigned  his  professor- 
ship in  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and 
together  with  Mott,  Francis,  Hos:ick,  and  others, 
founded   a  new  medical   school  on  Duane  Street,  in 


he 


*  I  am  indebted  to  this  preat  man's  crandson  and  namesake,  Dr.  Thomas 
Addis  Emmet,  the  distmp:uished  New  York  physician,  for  a  portrait  of  Dr. 
llacN^ven  and  some  valuable  points  of  information. 


wm 


400 


T/ie  Catkolic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


%  '"^ 

M 


which    he   lectured  on   materia    medica  and  thera- 
peutics till  1830. 

But  while  filling  the  professor's  chair  and  attend 
ing  to  a  large  practice,  Dr.  MacNeven  took  the 
most  earnest  and  active  interest  in  everythiiii;' 
that  related  to  Ireland  and  the  Irish  people.  He 
was  President  of  "  The  Friends  of  Ireland,"  and  a 
member  of  nearly  every  society  in  New  York  City 
having  for  its  object  the  honor  or  interest  of  his 
countrymen.  He  published  a  pamphlet  for  im- 
migrants, entitled  :  Directions^  or  Advice  to  Irishnien 
Arriving  in  America.  He  established  a  bureau  to 
obtain  positions  and  to  afford  protection  to  Irish 
servant  girls.  To  poor  Irishmen,  indeed,  he  was  a 
true  and  generous  friend.  He  aided  those  who 
needed  relief,  and  such  as  were  sick  he  attended 
without  charge.  It  was  well  said  that  "  his  knowl- 
edge and  his  virtues  reflected  honor  upon  his  exiled 
countrymen  in  America." 

*'  Towards  his  native  land,"  writes  Miss  MacNeven, 
"  my  father's  devoted  attachment  remained  ev'er  the 
same — neither  time  nor  distance,  the  cares  of  life,  nor 
the  approach  of  death  could  diminish  or  weaken  it. 
He  was  ever  active  in  her  service,  and  seized  every 
occasion  which  offered  to  promote  the  great  object 
of  her  happiness." 

This  noble  Irishman  died  after  a  long  illness,  borne 
with  the  patience  of  a  Christian  and  the  fortitude  of 
a  philosopher,  ort  the  12th   of  July,  1841.     He  was 


Williatn  James  MacNeven,  M.  D. 


401 


\  thera- 

attend 
00k  the 
irythiiii;- 
le.     He 

and  a 
rk  City 

of  his 
for  ini- 
ris/iiHcn 
ireau  to 
:o  Irish 
2  was  a 
se  who 
:tended 

knowl- 

exiled 

Neven, 
v'er  the 
ife,  nor 
ken  it. 
1  every 
object 

borne 

ude  of 

ie  was 


attended  in  his  last  hours  by  Bishop  Hughes,  and 
passed  away  soothed  by  all  the  consolations  of  the 
Catholic  Religion. 

Aside  from  iiis  many  virtues,  beautiful  character, 
and  great  professional  attainments,  Dr.  MacNeven 
was  a  man  of  wide  learning  and  rare  accomplish- 
ments. "  My  father,"  says  his  daughter.  Miss 
MacNeven,  "  besides  being  a  good  classical  scholar, 
was  a  proficient  in  several  modern  languages.  He 
spoke  German  and  French  with  the  same  facility  as 
English,  and  was  well  versed  in  the  literature  of 
those  countries.  He  was  also  a  good  Italian  scholar. 
He  understood  Irish,  his  native  tongue,  perfectly 
well,  and  conversed  in  it  fluently.  I  have  heard  him 
say  it  was  the  first  he  ever  spoke."  His  writings 
were  mainly  on  medical,  scientific,  and  political  sub- 
jects, and  were  commonly  in  the  form  of  essays  and 
lectures.  Among  his  best-known  works  were. 
Rambles  through  Sivitzerland,  Pieces  of  Irish  History, 
ZXid  Exposition  of  the  Atomic  Theory  in  Chemistry, 


402 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


m. 


'8 'I     ' 


JOHN  DUBOIS,  D.  D., 

FOUNDER  Of  MOUNT  ST.  MAKY\SCOLLEGEy  AND  BISHOP  OF  NEW 

J  ORK. 

Died  A.  D.  1842. 

|OHN  DUBOIS  was  born  at  Paris,  France, 
in  1764.  The  careful  training  given  him  by 
his  excellent  mother  made  a  lasting  impres- 
sion  on  his  character.  As  a  student,  he  distinguished 
himself  at  the  College  of  Louis  le  Grand,  in  which 
Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton  had  received  a  part  of 
his  education.  One  of  his  fellow-students  at  that 
•  famous  institution  was  Robespierre,  afterwards  the 
bloodthirsty  ruffian  of  the  Revolution.  Even  then, 
young  Dubois  instinctively  read  the  heart  ot  the 
budding  tyrant.  "  I  shall  never  forget,"  he  used  to 
say  to  one  of  his  pupils  at  Emmittsburg,  "  the  looks 
and  manners  of  him  who  afterwards  proved  such  a 
monster  of  ferocity.  He  was  unsocial,  solitary, 
gloomy  ;  his  head  was  restless,  his  eye  wandering, 
and  he  was  a  great  tyrant  towards  his  younger  and 
weaker  companions." 

Dubois  made  his  theological  course  at  the  Seminary 
of  St.  Mdgloire.  He  was  ordained  in  1787,  but 
four  years  later  was  obliged  to  sail  for  America  to 


John  Dubois,  D.  D, 


403 


)POFNEW 


France, 

1  hiin  by 

r  impres- 

iguished 

n  which 

1  part  of 

at  that 

rds  the 

en  then, 

ot  the 

used  to 

le looks 

such  a 

solitary, 

ndering, 

ger  and 

eminary 
787,  but 
erica  to 


avoid  the  hatred  of  the  revolutionists.  Welcomed 
by  Bishop  Carroll,  he  at  once  began  the  exercise  of 
the  sacred  ministry  at  Norfolk,  Virginia.  He  car- 
ried letters  of  introduction  from  Lafayette  to  James 
Mon  oe,  Patrick  Henry,  and  other  distinguished 
citizens  of  the  new  Republic.  He  even  resided  for 
some  time  with  the  future  President,  and  received 
lessons  in  English  from  the  great  orator.  While  in 
Virginia,  he  contrived  to  support  himself  by  teach- 
ing P^rench,  as  the  Catholics  were  too  few  and  too 
poor  to  contribute  to  his  support.  His  missionary 
field  was  very  extensive.  At  one  time  he  was  the 
only  priest  between  Baltimore  and  St.  Louis. 

His  vigorous  constitution  was  taxed  to  the  ut- 
most. He  could  never  say  his  work  was  finished. 
There  was  still  more.,  "  On  one  occasion,"  .says 
Rev.  Dr.  McCaffrey,  "  he  had  just  arrived  at 
Emmittsburg,  much  fatigued,  on  a  Saturday  after, 
noon,  and  was  going  to  the  confessional,  when  a 
distant  sick-call  came.  Before  leaving  Emmitts- 
burg, he  directed  the  usual  preparations  to  be  made 
for  the  celebration  of  Mass  on  Sunday,  saying  that 
he  would  be  back  in  tinic.  He  returned  to  Fred- 
erick, and  thence  proceeded  to  Montogomery 
County,  administered  the  consolations  of  religion  to 
the  dying  person,  and,  after  a  journey  of  nearly  fifty 
miles,  after  twice  swimming  his  horse  across  the 
Monocacy— the  last  time  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  for 
wearied    nature  caught  a  nap   of    sleep  while  the 


ift 


K'^'^'t 


•1- 
I 


404 


T/ic  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  vicrica. 


noble  animal  was  breasting  the  angry  stream — he 
was  again  in  the  confessional  at  nine  o'clock  on 
Sunday,  without  having  broken  his  fast,  and  sang 
Mass  and  preached  as  usual  at  a  late  hour  in  the 
forenoon,  and  with  so  little  appearance  of  fatigue 
that  the  majority  of  the  congregation  never  even 
suspected  that  he  had  stirred  abroad  in  the  interval." 

Father  Dubois  founded  Mount  St.  Mary's  College, 
Emmittsburg,  Maryland,  in  1809,  ^"•^  among  his 
first  scholars  were  James  McSherry,  Frederick 
Chatard,  Charles  Harper,  and  Jerome  Bonaparte. 
The  early  college  was  simply  a  log-house.  Boys 
came  fron:  ■  all  directions.  In  two  years  Father 
Dubois  "had  forty  pupils;  in  three,  sixty;  and  in 
five,  eighty."  The  institution  grew  and  flourished, 
and  in  time  became  the  alma  mater  of  Cardinal 
McCloskey,  Archbishop  Hughes,  Archbishop  Purcell^ 
and  many  other  eminent  men. 

After  having  borne  the  heat  and  burden  of  the 
day  for  thirty-five  years,  and  when  past  the  age  of 
three-score.  Father  Dubois  was  appointed  Bishop  of 
New  York.  He  entered  upon  his  new  duties 
towards  the  close  of  1826.  The  trials  and  difificul- 
ties  were  countless.  *'  I  am  obliged,"  he  writes  to 
Rome,  "  to  fulfil  at  the  same  time  the  duties  of 
Bishop,  parish  priest,  an  i  catechist." 

Nor  was  this  all.  Many  a  church  trustee,  at  that 
time,  considered  himself  the  most  important  man  in 
the  diocese.     It  was  the  bull-frog  trying  to  become 


'li:;  % 


John  Dubois^  D.  D. 


405 


an  ox.  Bishop  Dubois,  of  course,  soon  found  him- 
self in  difficulties  with  the  trustees  of  his  cathedral. 
Their  insolence  went  so  far  that  they  threatened  to 
cut  off  his  salary ;  but  they  little  knew  the  spirit  of 
the  aged  prelate.  "  Gentlemen,"  he  replied,  "you 
may  vote  me  a  salary  or  not.  I  need  little.  I  can 
live  in  a  basement  or  a  garret ;  but  whether  I  come 
up  from  my  basement,  or  down  from  my  garret,  I 
shall  still  be  your  Bishop." 

On  the  first  visitation  of  his  diocese.  Dr.  Dubois 
found  about  seven  hundred  Catholics  at  Buffalo. 
Here  he  heard  many  confessions — about  two  hun- 
dred of  them  by  means  of  an  interpreter.  His  zeal, 
activity,  and  enterprise  would  have  accomplished 
more,  had  he  been  properly  supported  in  his  measures 
by  the  trustees  of  the  various  churches.  He  had 
likewise  to  contend  with  the  insane  bigotry  of  the 
times.  A  Catholic  college,  which  he  was  erecting 
in  a  beautiful  spot  near  Nyack,  on  the  Hudson, 
afforded  an  excellent  theme  for  loud-mouthed 
fanatics  and  wexk-headed  ministers.  The  pulpits 
rung  with  the  dangers  of  "  Popery."  One  morning 
the  college  was  found  a  mass  of  ruins  and  ashes ! 
During  his  episcopate  eight  new  churches  were 
erected  in  New  York  City  alone. 

In  1837,  his  health  giving  way,  he  received  the 
assistance  of  a  coadjutor  in  the  person  of  Dr. 
Hughes,  his  former  pupil,  his  illustrious  successor, 
and  first  Archbishop  of  New  York.    Bishop  Dubois 


A 


I  'i' 


:  1 


'■■f''i~ 


■ 


; 

i 

hi 

i 

fiij 

4d5 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


died  on  the  20th  of  December,  1842,  at  the  ripe  ajre 
of  seventy-eight. 

"  Need  I  tell  you,"  says  his  eloquent  eulogist, 
"  that  such  a  life  was  closed  by  a  tranquil  and  happy 
death?  The  last  words  that  trembled  on  his  lips 
were  the  holy  names  which  in  infancy  a  pious 
mother  had  taught  him  to  lisp — Jesus,  Mary,  and 
Joseph  !  As  the  ripe  and  mellow  fruit  falls  in  due 
seaso  .  ^o  the  ground — as  the  flower  hangs  its  head, 
anc.  ,s,  and  dies — as  the  sun  at  evening's  close 

sinks  calmly  into  the  ocean's  bed,  leaving  tracks 
el  ^luP'  be'i'nd — so  did  he  quit  this  earthly  scene, 
without  a  straggle  and  without  a  sigh — with  a 
prayer  on  his  lips,  and  a  sweet  hope  of  heavenly 
rest  in  his  heart,  and  a  sweet  thought  of  the  mercy 
of  Jesus,  whom  he  had  loved  and  served  all  his  life^ 
hovering  like  an  angel  over  his  departing  spiriu"* 

>  Rev.  Dr.  McCaffrey. 


Th^  Catholic  Fwneers  ej  America, 


JOHN  ENGLAND,  D.  D., 

F1RS7  BISHOP  OF  CHARLESTON,  SOUTH  CAROLINA. 
Died  A.  D.  1842. 

T  was  some  years  before  the  steam-engine  en- 
abled people  to  move  quicker  than  "the  wings 
of  the  wind."     There  were  no  railroads.     A 
stage-coach  was  pushingalong  the  highway  in  one  of 
the  Southern  States.    It  stopped.     Ayoungminister 
entered,  took  a   seat,  and   glanced    around   at  the 
passengers.     A  number  of  gentleman  were  engaged 
in  earnest  conversation  ;  and  he  immediately  fixed 
his  gaze  on  one  of  them — a  dignified,  remarkable- 
looking  man  in  the  prime  of  life,  whose  eye  glowed 
with  mental  brightness  and  searching  power.     The 
newcomer  seemed  to  be  moved  by  some  extraor- 
dinary  impulse.     He   was   not    polite.      He   every 
now  and  then  threw  out  hints  about  "  the  Pope," 
"Anti.Christ,"  "the    Scarlet   Woman,"  and  other 
very  inysterious  things,  endeavoring  at  each    sen- 
tence to  attract  the  notice  of  the  remarkable-look- 
ing  gentleman.     "Paul"    was   continually    quoted. 
I^was  "Paul"  here,  and  "Paul"   there,  and   how 


||: 

\m 

INh 

m 

! 

1-  1 

f 

'1 

.  1 

ipfiHI 

i 
! 

!S;; 

:          1 

408 


T/w  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


£Ould  people  that  he  called   "  Romanists"   answer 
•'  Paul"? 

At  first,  th<*  gentleman  addressed  appeared  to 
pay  no  attention  to  such  odd  questions;  but  as  tlie 
preacher  stuck  to  his  points,  the  annoyance  soon 
became  intol  ::rabe.  At  length,  he  paused,  turned 
towards  the  uncourteous  bawler  of  texts,  and 
directing  the  blaze  of  his  great  eyes,  which  sparkled 
with  fun  and  fire,  upon  him,  he  gave  utterance  to 
this  strange  rebuke:  "  Young  man  !  if  you  have  not 
faith  and  piety  sufficient  to  induce  you  to  call  the 
Apostle  '  Saint  Paul,'  at  least  have  the  good 
manners  to  call  him  'Mister  Paul ;'  and  do  not  be 
perpetually  calling  him  '  Paul,'  *  Paul,'  as  if  you  con- 
sidered  him  nc  better  than  a  negro."  The  words,  as- 
sisted by  the  comical  gravity  with  which  they  were 
uttered  and  enforced  by  the  roar  of  laughter  with  which 
they  were  received  by  the  delighted  passengers,  ex- 
tinguished the  poor  preacher,  who  rapidfy  hid  him- 
self in  the  town  at  which  the  sta^e  arrived.  Nor 
did  the  affair  end  here.  The  story  got  abroad,  and 
the  next  Sunday,  while  he  was  enlightening  an 
audience,  some  irreverent  wag  interrupted  him  by  re- 


peatmg 


Mister    Paul— Mister  Paul!'      The   ab- 


surdity  of  the  affair  obliged  the  indiscreet  but  ambi- 
tious minister  to  leave  for  parts  unknown.  He  had 
met  Dr.  England,  and  thought  he  would  break  a 
lance  with  the  famous  Catholic  Bishop. 

John  England  was  born  at  Cork,  Ireland,  on  the 


John  Engiand,  D.  D. 


409 


23d  of  September,  1786.  Mis  boyhood  was  in  the 
days  of  his  country's  trial  and  persecution.  Tlie 
wrongs  he  saw  and  suffered  made  a  lasting  impres- 
sion on  his  mind  and  character.  Indeed,  the  en- 
thusiastic love  of  his  Faith  and  his  native  Isle  were 
ever  the  cherished  affections  which  dwelt  down 
deepest  in  his  great  heart.  His  first  instruction 
was  received  in  a  Protestant  school,  as  there  was  no 
other  to  which  he  could  go.  Here  the  soul  of  the 
brave  boy  was  daily  pained  by  insult.  Often,  to 
expose  him  to  the  contempt  of  the  class,  the  bigoted 
teacher  would  sneeringly  call  him  *'///<?  litiie 
Papist:' 

Young  England  began  his  career  in  life  by  the 
study  of  law.  Two  years  spent  in  the  office  of  an 
eminent  barrister  had  a  beneficial  effect  in  develop- 
ing his  precise  and  practical  mind.  His  own  pious 
inclinations,  and  the  designs  of  Providence,  how- 
ever, led  him  to  consecrate  his  gifts  to  the  Church. 
His  excellent  parents  encouraged  this  noble  resolu- 
tion, and  he  beiran  histheoloijical  studies  in  Carlow 
College.  Here  his  splendid  talents  were  brought 
out  in  all  their  shining  greatness.  Before  he  was 
ordained,  Dr.  Moylan,  the  venerable  Bishop  of 
Cork — and  brother  of  General  Stephen  Moylan — 
recalled  him  to  his  own  diocese  and  appointed  the 
student  of  theology,  President  of  the  Diocesan 
Seminary  at  Cork.  He  was  ordained  in  October, 
1808,  Dr.  Moylan  having  obtained  a  dispensation, 


If 


's  .i 


410  T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 

as  Father  England  had  not  reached  the  canonical 
age  of  twenty-five. 

His  career  as  a  fearless  priest  and  patriot  now 
made  him  a  man  of  mark — revered  and  loved  by 
the  Irish  people — feared  and  haied  by  the  Govern- 
ment. As  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Cork 
Chronicle^  he  hurled  forth  articles  that  fell  like 
thunderbolts  among  his  political  and  religious 
enemies.  On  one  occasion  he  was  even  fined  the 
round  sum  of  five  hundred  pounds  for  his  freedom 
of  speech.  But  though  rich  in  truth,  he  was  poor 
»n  money ;  and  while  he  continued  to  give  out  the 
former  with  a  lavish  hand,  lie  took  good  care  not 
to  pay  cash  that  he  did  not  owe.  Father  England 
»vas  on  intimate  terms  with  the  illustrious  O'Con- 
nell  ;  and  his  pen  did  much  to  hasten  Catholic 
Emancipation  in  Ireland. 

A  few  years  later,  O'Connell  said :  "If  I  had 
Bishop  England  at  my  back,  I  would  not  fear  the 
whole  world.' 

In  18 1 7,  Father  England  was  appointed  parish 
priest  of  Bandon,  a  place  of  such  bitter  bigotry  that 
over  the  entrance  was  placed  the  famous  inscription 
which  warmly  welcomed  "the  Turk,  the  Atheist, 
and  the  Jew,"  but  severely  warned  "  the  Papist"  to 
keep  away.  The  fearless  priest  entered  on  his 
duties  undeterred  even  by  this  inscription.  On 
several  occasions  his  hairbreadth  escapes  from 
murder  are   thrill  ng  enough  to   have  occurred    in 


John  England,  D.D, 


411 


border  Indian  life.  But  even  in  these  Uangeious 
adventures,  God  had  His  designs  on  the  future 
American  prelate.  Such  training  admirably  fitted 
him  for  the  toilsome  and  thorny  road  which  he  was 
to  travel  in  our  own  Republic. 

In  September,  1820,  Dr.  England  was  consecrated 
Bishop  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  his  native  city.  Ac- 
companied by  his  youngest  sister,  who  resolved  to 
share  his  perils,  he  embarked  from  Belfast,  and  after 
a  dangerous  voyage,  landed  at  Charleston,  on  De- 
cember 30th,  1820.  His  new  diocese  embraced 
North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia- 
States  in  which  the  Catholic  Religion  had  barely 
an  existence.  The  people  were  exceedingly  bigoted. 
^"  '775»  two  Irish  Catholics  were  tarred  and  feath- 
ered, on  a  false  charge  of  conspiring  with  the  negroes 
to  overthrow  the  liberties  of  the  country.  "The 
population,"  writes  Rev.  Dr.  O'Connell,  "was  com- 
posed of  but  two  classess — the  whites  and  the 
slaves.  The  former  were  a  bloated,  proud,  and 
wealthy  people,  forming  an  aristocracy  as  intolerable 
and  inaccessible  as  those  whom  he  had  left  behind ; 
and  the  slaves,  their  property,  were  as  closely 
guarded  against  all  interference  as  a  miser  keeps  his 
hoard  from  the  nightly  burglar/'  The  difficulties 
of  Dr.  England  may  be  imagined  rather  than  por- 
trayed. But  his  master  spirit  pointed  out  the  line 
of  duty:  and  his  success  was  one  of  the  noblest 
triumphs  of  the  Church  in  this  Republic. 


i , 

liifi 

! 

i  ": 

412 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


On  his  arrival  he  found  only  two  churches  open 
in  his  large  diocese;  and  his  clergy  could  ho 
numbered  on  two  fingers.  But  the  anointed  herald 
of  the  Cross  came  bravely  up  to  his  work.  irches 

began  to  rise  around  him.  He  travelled,  preached, 
taught,  confirmed.  Wherever  he  found  a  few  Cath- 
olic families  in  town  or  city,  he  assembled  them, 
organized  them,  and  encouraged  them  to  hold  to- 
gether until  he  could  send  them  a  pastor.  As  for 
himself,  he  performed  all  the  labors  and  endured 
the  hardships  of  a  missionary  priest.  His  journeys 
were  frequently  a  hundred  miles.  His  noble  spirit 
of  self-sacrifice  reminds  us  of  the  heroic  De  Br^beuf. 
Such  was  his  personal  poverty  that  he  often  vvalked 
the  burning  sands  and  pavements  of  Charle  >  with 
his  bare  feet  to  the  ground;  the  upper  leanier  of 
his  shoes  only  remaining  decent,  while  the  soles 
were  worn  away. 

As  soon  as  possible,  he  became  an  American 
citizen,  and  was  devotedly  attached  to  his  adopted 
country  and  its  institutions.  While  the  Catholics 
of  his  diocese,  and  indeed  of  the  whole  United 
States,  revered  the  Bishop,  people  of  all  denomina- 
tions admired  his  happy  eloquence,  magic  pen,  and 
j2[reat  learning.  He  was  a  valued  member  of  the 
Philosophical  Literary  Association  of  Charleston ; 
he  founded  the  Anti-Duelling  Association  ;  and  he 
preached  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives in  Washington — the  first  Catholic  clergjnnan 
ever  invited  to  perform  such  a  wo 


jfokn  En^laiidy  D.  D. 


413 


The  great  struggle  of  Bishop  En<;land'slife  in  this 
Republic  was  to  present  the  Catholic  Church,  her 
doctrines  and  practices,  in  their  true  light  before  the 
American  people.  In  his  eiTorts  to  do  this,  his 
labors,  pcriiaps,  have  never  been  equalled  by  any 
other  man.  It  was  with  this  object  in  view  that  he 
established  the  United  States  CatJiolic  Miscellany,  in 
1822.  On  his  arrival  in  America  he  found  the 
Catholic  Church  comparatively  defenceless  but  he 
noon  rendered  it  a  very  responsible  task  to  attack 
or  vilify  her.  Many  who  ventured  on  this  mode  of 
warfare  were  glad  to  retreat  from  the  field  before 
the  crushing  weapon  of  logic,  erudition,  and 
eloquence  with  which  he  battled  for  his  faith  and  his 
people. 

Bifhop  England  was  a  fearless  man.  He  quailed 
neither  before  deadly  pestilence,  the  hand  of  the 
assassin,  or  the  passions  of  the  rabble.  When  the 
yellow  fever,  with  frightful  swiftness,  desolated 
.  Charleston,  he  could  be  daily  seen  calmly  moving,' 
through  the  wards  of  death,  cheering  those  who 
were  on  the  point  of  departing  for  another  world. 
When  the  anti-Catholic  spirit  seized  on  the  mob  of 
Charleston,  and  they  threatened  to  burn  the  convent, 
a  gallant  band  of  Irishmen  rallied  to  its  defence ; 
and  Dr.  England,  coolly  and  carefully,  examined 
the  flints  of  their  rifles,  to  satisfy  himself  that 
there  should  be  no  missing  fire — no  failure  of  swift 
and    summr  ry   justice !     But    the    preparation    was 


i 

,1 

v'i   1 

I 

\    \ 

':''    : 

- 

i 

1 

\v\ 


1-K 


414 


T/it'  Catliolir  Pioneers  of  A  tnerica. 


enough.     It  was  a  lesson  the  ruffians  never  forgot. 

Dr.  England  has  been  truly  styled  "  the  author  of 
the  Provincial  Councils.  '  His  far  reaching  mind 
saw  the  imperfect  organization  of  the  struggling 
American  Church — its  bishops  fat  apart,  battling  with 
poverty  and  difficulties.  He  wrote  to  his  brother 
prelates,  urging  the  necessity  of  assembling  and 
taking  counsel  for  united  action.  He  lived  to  see 
this  cherished  desire  of  his  heart  accomplished,  and 
his  solid  and  brilliant  mind  shed  its  rays  of  light 
and  wisdom  on  the  first  Councils  of  Baltimore.  His 
labors  in  the  cause  of  Catholic  education  were  un- 
tiring.  It  was  to  meet  the  wants  of  his  diocese  that 
he  introduced  the  Ursulines  and  the  Sisters  of 
Mercy,  In  the  same  interest  he  visited  Europe 
four  times.  At  Rome,  he  was  consulted  on  all 
matters  relating  to  the  Catholic  Church  in  the 
United  States.  Such  was  his  reptutaion  for  energy, 
and  the  rapidity  of  his  movements,  that  he  was 
known  among  the  Cardinals  as  the  "  Steam  Bishop" 
of  America. 

Worn  out  with  labor  and  fatigue,  his  powerful 
frame  gave  way — health  vanished.  When  warned 
that  he  was  killing  himself,  he  only  replied  :  **  I 
must  do  my  duty,  and  if  I  fall  at  the  altar,  I  only  ask 
that  you  will  bring  me  home."  When  his  last  hour 
came,  he  embraced  the  crucifix,  and  kissing  it,  said. 
"  Sweet  Jesus  !"  His  address  to  the  clergy,  who 
surrounded  his  couch  of  death,  was  the  last  sublime 


h 


William  Gaston,  LL.D. 


415 


act  of  his  grandly  beautiful  life.  Giving  his  bene- 
diction, he  sank  on  his  pillow,  and  calmly  expired, 
April  nth,  1842,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years. 

As  a  Bishop  of  apostolic  zeal  and  splendid  in- 
tellect, as  a  finished  scholar,  powerful  writer,  and 
impressive  preacher,  the  Catholic  Church  of  this 
Republic  has  not  seen  the  superior  of  Dr.  England. 
When  he  could  gain  a  candid  hearing,  his  influence 
was  really  irresistible.  Many  who  heard  the  marvel- 
lous  force  of  his  words — the  magic  thrill  of  his 
eloquence — came  at  once  to  profess  the  Catholic 
Religion. 


WILLIAM  GASTON,  LL.D., 

JUDGE  CF  THE  SUPREME  roURT  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Died  A.  D.    1844. 

WILLIAM  GASTON  was  born  at  Newbern, 
North  Carolina,  while  the  American  Revolu- 
tion was  still  an  uncertain  struggle,  and  the  crash  of 
arms  sounded  from  Maine  to  Georgia.  It  was  on  the 
19th  of  September,  1778.  His  father.  Dr.  Alexander 
Gaston,  was  a  native  of  Ireland;  and  his  mother, 
Margaret  Sh.irpe,  an  English  lady — a  pious  Catliolic, 
who  had  received  an  excellent  education  at  a  con- 
vent in  France. 


416 


T/ie  CatJiolic  Pioneers  of  America. 


m 


■    !■ 


Dr.  Gaston  was  a  sterling  patriot.  But  while 
hurriedly  removing  his  family  from  Newbern,  a 
detachment  of  British  troops  suddenly  appeared, 
and  shot  down  the  gallant  Irish  physician  in  the 
very  presence  of  his  imploring  wife  and  children. 

Mrs.  Gaston  devoted  her  chief  attention  to  the 
education  of  her  son  William,  who,  as  he  budded 
into  boyhood,  revealed  a  disposition  full  of  promise 
and  consolation.  Her  means  were  quite  limited,  but 
a  rigid  economy  enabled  her  to  accomplish  this  fond 
object  of  her  heart. 

An  anecdote  is  told  of  the  boy  which  will  afford 
an  insight  to  the  relations  of  the  mother  and  son. 
When  young  Gaston  was  about  eight  years  old,  even 
then  remarkable  for  his  cleverness,  a  schoolmate  as 
much  noted  for  his  dulness  said  to  him:  "William, 
what's  the  reason  you're  always  head  of  the  class 
and  I'm  always  foot  ?"  *'  There  is  a  reason,"  replied 
the  boy,  "but  if  I  tell  you,  you  must  promise  to 
keep  it  a  secret,  and  do  as  I  do."  The  promise  was 
given.  "WHienever,"  he  continued,  "I  take  up  my 
book  to  study,  I  first  say  a  little  prayer  my  mother 
taught  me,  that  I  may  be  able  to  learn  m}'  lessons." 
He  tried  to  teach  the  little  petition  to  the  dull  boy, 
who,  however,  could  not  remember  it.  The  same 
night  Mrs.  Gaston  observed  William  writing  behind 
the  door  ;  as  she  was  very  strict  in  permitting  nothing 
her  children  did  to  be  concealed  from  her,  he  was 
obliged  to  confess  having  been  writing  out  the  prayer 


m 


ca. 


W'lliam  Gaston^  LL.D. 


417 


But  while 
fewbern,    a 

appeared, 
:ian  in  the 
:hildren. 
ion  to  the 
he  budded 
of  promise 
iniited,but 
li  this  fond 

will  afford 

:r  and  son. 

s  old,  even 

oolmate  as 

"William, 

the  class 

n,"  replied 

)romise  to 

omise  was 

ike  up  my 

ny  mother 

lessons." 

dull  boy, 

The  same 

ng  behind 

ig  nothing 

er,  he  was 

;he  prayer 


for  little  Tommy,  that  he  might  be  able  to  get  his 
lessons. 

In  the  fall  of  1791,  William  Gaston  was  placed  at 
Georgetown  College,  being  the  first  student  that 
entered  that  oldest  of  our  Catholic  seats  of  learning. 
But  he  was  not  simply  first  in  point  of  time.  He- 
was  first  in  piety  and  industry.  "Your  son,"  wrote 
Father  Plunkett,  S.  J.,  to  Mrs.  Gaston,  "is  the  best 
scholar  and  the  most  exemplary  youth  we  have  in 
Georgetown." 

After  some  time,  his  mother,  desirous  of  giving 
him  the  highest  education  the  country  at  that  period 
afforded,  sent  him  to  Princeton  College,  N.  J., 
where  he  entered  the  junior  class.  His  brilliant 
talents  are  among  the  cherished  traditions  of  that 
institution.  Here,  though  he  lived  in  the  midst  of 
Protestants,  who  were  his  constant  and  only  com 
panions,  he  was  never  known  to  fail  in  his  duty  as  a 
strict  and  practical  Catholic,  He  graduated  in  1796, 
carrying  away  with  him  the  first  honors  of  Princeton. 
But  he  could  not  think  of  such  an  important  step  as 
graduation  without  the  blessing  of  Heaven.  Hence, 
on  the  eve  of  that  event  he  went  to  Philadelphia. 
and  received  Holy  Communion,  in  order  that  he 
might  begin  the  journey  of  life  with  the  grace  of 
God  in  his  heart. 

He  was  accustomed  to  say  that  the  proudest 
moment  of  his  life  was  when  he  communicated  the 
news  of  his  graduation  to  his  dear,  devoted  mother. 


^E^'pI  . 

1  !■ 
■■■ 

■'4   : 

■FA 

1 

ir  ^ 

f      ^ 

5;  ■ 

'  "i  . 

-.1 

t 

1 

^1 
j, 

.  i. 

^ 

i 

: 

"l»:ll 

i 

i 

•  ,4 

'■ 

! 

ti 

Lj 

1 

Bh 

■HI  1 

rfU. 

418 


77(t^  CatJiolic  Pioneers  of  Atnerica, 


She  embraced  her  boy,  and  laying  her  hands  on  his 
head,  as  he  was  kneeling  at  her  feet,  she  exclaimed: 
"My  God,  I  thank  Thee!" 

Entering  the  office  of  an  eminent  lawyer,  young 
Gaston  began  his  legal  studies.  He  was  called  to 
the  bar  in  1798,  when  he  was  twenty  years  of  age; 
and  soon  gained  distinction  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  In  August,  1800,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Senate  of  his  native  State.*  Eight 
years  later  he  was  chosen  an  Elector  for  President 
and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States.  In  181 1, 
he  mourned  the  loss  of  his  excellent  mother.  She 
deserves  a  high  position  among  the  heroines  of  the 
Revolution.  All  who  speak  of  Mrs.  Gaston  inva- 
riably name  her  as  the  most  dignified  as  well  as  the 
most  devout  woman  they  had  ever  seen. 

Gaston  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1813,  and  two 
years  later  he  was  reelected  for  a  second  term. 
His  Congressional  career  v»as  one  of  great  activity 
and  unsurpassed  brilliancy.  Though  quite  a  young 
man,  he  did  not  shrink  from  encounter  with  such 
men  as  Clay,  Calhoun,  Webster,  Randolph,  and 
other  notable  statesmen  of  that  day.  His  indepen- 
dence of  spirit,  great  learning,  ready  eloquence, 
and  pure,  lofty  character  gave  him  vast  influence 
with  his  own  party,  while  it  commanded  the  re- 
spect of  his  political  opponents. 

»  And  this  though  the  Constitution  of  North  Carolina  at  that  time  contained 
a  clause  excluding  Catholics  from  office. 


ds  on  his 
xlaimed : 

ir,  young 
called  to 
s  of  age ; 
ce  of  his 
lected  a 
•  Eight 
;*resident 
In  1811, 
er.  She 
is  of  the 
on  inva- 
ill  as  the 

and  two 
id  term. 

activitv 
a  young 
ith  such 
ph,  and 
indepen-. 
»quence, 
nfluence 

the  re- 


le  contained 


William  Gaston^  LL.D. 


419 


On  retiring  from  Congress  in  1817,  he  resumed 
the  practice  of  the  law.  Gaston's  clear,  condensed, 
and  vigorous  eloquence  was  remarkable.  Who  tliat 
has  seen,  can  ever  forget  that  nohlc  form,  as  he 
arose  to  address  the  jury  in  sonic  case  of  life  and 
death?  The  head  slightly  inclined — the  calm  gray 
eye — the  expansive,  jutting  brow,  overloaded  with 
thought.  At  first,  the  words  come  slowly,  like  rain- 
drops before  the  storm.  Then,  the  manner  be- 
comes more  animated.  The  words  sally  forth  like 
disciplined  troops,  and  fall  into  line — each  so  apt 
and  expressive.  Now  and  then,  one  concentrates 
such  a  world  of  meaning  that  it  seems  to  fly  and 
bury  itself  in  your  heart.  Those  manly,  expressive 
eyes  kindle,  look  on  you,  and  you  behold  in  their 
bright,  mysterious  depths  something  unutterable. 
The  thought  that  convulses  the  orator  takes  pos- 
session of  your  soul,  and  you  yield  yourself  to  the 
power  of  a  master  mind.' 

Gaston  was  almost  from  necessity  a  public  man ; 
and  his  splendid  gifts  were  always  at  the  service  of 
his  country  and  oppressed  humanity.  His  heart 
went  out  in  warm  sympathy  to  the  Catholics  of  Ire- 
land, who  were  then  struggling  for  emancipation.  In  a 
letter  dated  Newbern,  September  30th,  1828,  and  ad- 
dressed to  Dr.  William  James  MacNeven,  he  says: 
"I  had  the  honor  to  receive,  by  the  last  mail,  your 
interesting  letter  of  the  20th  inot.,  on  the  subject  of 

ilredeU. 


'i^ 


i 

Pi  y 


\sr4 


i 

■  ■  :\ 

id 

. — 1 

420  T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 

the  Association  recently  formed  by  The  Friends  of 
Ireland^  in  New  York.  The  cause  of  civil  and  re- 
ligious liberty,  wherever  it  may  be  advocated,  cannot 
fail  to  engage  my  warmest  wishes  for  its  success. 
But  when  it  is  in  contestation  in  the  land  of  my 
fathers,  among  a  people  only  less  dear  to  me  than 
those  of  my  own  country,  it  excites  an  interest,  the 
strength  and  ardor  of  which  I  find  it  difficult  to 
express.  May  God  speed  it  to  a  glorious  and  happy 
issue.  As  an  earnest  of  my  zeal  in  its  behalf,  I  send 
the  enclosed  mite'  to  be  applied  to  the  objects  of 
the  Association." 

It  was  especially,  however,  in  the  Legislature  of 
North  Carolina  that  his  personal  influence  was  felt. 
The  expunging  of  the  clause  which  discriminated 
against  Catholics  in  the  Constitution  of  that  State 
was  due  to  his  able  efforts.  "The  most  brilliant  era 
of  his  legislative  career,"  says  a  Protestant  writer, 
"was  the  Convention  of  1835.  The  hour  of  the 
repeal  of  the  constitutional  disfranchisement  of 
Catholics  was  probably  the  proudest  of  his  life.  His 
speech  on  that  occasion  was  one  of  the  rarest  and 
most  admirable  specimens  of  eloquence  which  ancient 
or  modern  times  have  produced.  His  whole  soul 
was  poured  into  the  task.  He  felt  that  it  must  be 
achieved  by  him,  or  not  at  all.  His  effort  was 
successful.  And  to  him  is  due  the  gratitude  of  the 
wise  and  tolerant  of  every  land.' 


»> 


»  Twenty-five  dollars. 


Wtlliam  Gaston,  LL.D. 


421 


'^riends  of 
il  and  re- 
;d,  cannot 
;  success. 
»d  of  my 
me  than 
erest,  the 
ifficult  to 
nd  happy 
alf,  I  send 
bjects  of 

slature  of 
:  was  felt, 
riminated 
hat  State 
illiant  era 
nt  writer, 
ir  of  the 
ment  of 
ife.  His 
irest  and 
h  ancient 
lole  soul 
must  be 
ort  was 
e  of  the 


In  1833,  William  Gaston  was  elevated  to  the 
bench  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  North  Carolina,  a 
post  which  he  continued  to  adorn  for  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  To  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his 
high  office.  Judge  Gaston  brought  all  the  rich 
treasures  of  his  well-stored  mind,  and  the  sterling 
qualities  of  his  upright  heart.  Never  was  the 
ermine  worn  with  more  unsullied  purity  ;  never  was 
justice  more  ably  or  impartially  administered.  But 
it  would  be  impossible  in  brief  space  to  convey  to 
the  mind  of  the  reader  a  just  idea  of  his  grand 
judicial  career. 

To  him,  home  was  one  of  the  sweetest  words  in 
the  language — truly  "home,  sweet  home."  In  the 
domestic  circle  his  warm,  genial  nature  shed  a  cheer- 
fulness all  around.  He  was  several  times  married, 
but  the  early  death  of  his  last  wife  left  his  children 
motherless;  yet  he  was  everything  to  them  by  his 
tenderness  and  thoughtful  solicitude.  Their  educa- 
tion was  the  object  of  his  greatest  care,  and  he 
regarded  their  religious  instruction  as  the  most  im- 
portant part  of  their  education.  Writing  to  his 
eldest  daughter,  then  married  in  Connecticut,  and 
who  had  charge  of  the  schooling  of  her  young 
sisters,  the  wise  Judge  said  :  "  Save  them  from  the 
greatest  of  all  moral  evils — the  unsettling  of  (Jiev^ 
Faithr 

Judge  Gaston  was  a  man  of  earnest  faith  and 
deep   religious    feeling.     Before    the  church    was 


I 


i 

i1 


m  i: 


\ 

t 
li 

1 

422 


The  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


erected  at  Newbern,  he  used  to  read  the  prayers  of 
Mass  for  all  the  Catholics  that  could  be  collected 
together.  The  humility  and  devotion  with  which 
he  would  do  this,  in  the  absence  of  the  priest,  was 
the  edification  of  all  present.  He  kept  up  a  friendly 
correspondence  with  Dr.  England  ;  and  the  letters 
of  the  great  prelate  to  him  breathe  the  warmest 
sentiments  of  esteem  and  affection.  This  pious  and 
distinguished  man  died  at  Raleigh,  N.  C  ,  in  1844, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-six.  The  last  words  he  uttered 
were:  "We  must  believe  and  feel  that  there  is  a 
God,  all-wise  and  almighty."  After  Judge  Gaston's 
death,  his  confessor  declared  that  he  regarded  him 
fts  a  Catholic  of  such  pure  life,  that  he  had  never 
committed  a  mortal  sin  1 


W\ 


W-        ,1; 


l!« 


yt' 


TJw  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America,  423 


prayers  of 
collected 
ith  which 
)riest,  was 
a  friendly 
he  letters 
;  warmest 
pious  and 
,  in  1844, 
e  uttered 
there  is  a 
!  Gaston's 
irded  him 
lad  never 


TERESA  LALOR, 

FOUNDRESS  OF  THE  ^ISITA  TION  NUNS  IN  AMERICA, 
Died  A.  D.  1846. 

T  was  long  after  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarna- 
tion and  Sister  Margaret  Bourgeois  had 
passed  to  their  reward,  leaving  enduring 
monuments  of  their  well-directed  zeal  on  the  banks  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  that  another  noble  woman  became 
the  Catholic  pioneer  of  female  education  in  this  Re- 
public. 

Teresa  Lalor — she  was  baptized  Alice,  but  took 
the  name  of  Teresa  on  entering  the  religious  state — 
was  born  in  Queen's  County,  Ireland,  about  the 
year  1766.  She  was  brought  up,  however,  at  Kil- 
kenny, and  became  a  girl  of  rare  promise.  When 
only  sixteen  years  of  age,  she  consulted  Bishop 
Lanigan  about  making  a  vow  of  chastity.  The 
prelate,  after  some  delay,  permitted  the  young  lady 
to  follow  her  design. 

Miss  Lalor  continued  to  live  piously  in  her  family 
till  Dr.  Lanigan,  desirous  of  forming  a  religious 
community  at  Kilkenny,  invited  her  to  join  it.  S. it- 
was    more   than   willing.     Her  parents,   however, 


r«i 


424 


IVte  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


opposed  the  step.  They  intended  to  emigrate  to 
America,  and  would  not  part  with  their  darling 
daughter.  Accordingly,  in  1797,  she  sailed  with 
her  father  and  mother  for  the  United  States,  having 
promised  the  Bishop  to  return  to  Ireland  in  two 
years  to  embrace  the  religious  state. 

She  settled  with  her  family,  at  Philadelphia,  and 
confided  her  projects  to  Father  Leonard  Neale, 
whom  she  took  as  her  spiritual  director.  This  good 
priest  had  long  wished  to  found  a  religious  com- 
munity at  Philadelphia;  but  he  was  yet  undecided 
as  to  what  Order  would  best  suit  the  wants  of  the 
country.  He  showed  Miss  Lalor  that  America 
needed  her  services  far  more  than  Ireland.  And 
as  her  confessor,  invested  with  the  necessary  powers, 
he  released  her  from  her  promise  to  return. 
Obedient  to  his  counsels,  she  joined  two  other 
young  women  animated  by  a  similar  desire  for  the 
religious  state.  She  left  her  family,  to  begin,  under 
Father  Neale's  direction,  a  house  for  the  education 
of  girls.  Scarcely,  however,  had  the  new  institution 
,  opened,  when  the  yellow  fever  commenced  to  ravage 
Philadelphia.  Many  people  fled  from  the  scourge; 
arhong  others,  the  parents  of  Miss  Lalor.  They 
conjured  her  to  accompany  them,  but  she  remained 
unshaken  at  her  post,  and  beheld  her  two  com- 
panions carried  oflf  by  the  pestilence,  without  being 
discouraged  in  her  resolution  of  devoting  her  life  to 
Heaven. 


Teresa  Lalor 


425 


ligrate  to 
r  darling 
iled  with 
es,  having 
id  in  two 

Iphia,  and 
•d   Neale, 
This  good 
ous  com- 
.mdecided 
its  of  the 
America 
nd.     And 
■y  powers, 
)    return, 
wo   other 
re  for  the 
Tin,  under 
education 
nstitution 
to  ravage 
scourge ; 
r.      They 
remained 
wo   corn- 
out  being 
ler  life  to 


Father  Neale,  in  the  meantime,  was  appointed 
President  of  Georgetown  College,  D.  C.  He  invited 
Miss  Lalor  and  a  devoted  l.idy  friend  to  open  a 
school  at  Georgetown  in  1799;  and  this  was  the 
beginning  of  what  is  to-day  the  oldest  Catholic 
female  academy  within  the  limits  of  the  original 
Thirteen  States. 

The  rising  institute  soon  received  a  very  desirable 
accession  in  another  lady,  who  brought  with  her  a 
small  fortune — something  not  to  be  despised,  as  they 
were  extremely  poor.  This  money  was  employed 
partly  in  the  purchase  of  a  wooden  house,  the  site 
of  which  is  still  embraced  in  the  convent  grounds. 
Father  Neale,  on  becoming  coadjutor  to  Bishop 
Carroll,  in  1800,  continued  to  reside  at  Georgetown, 
where  he  bestowed  on  his  spiritual  daughters  the 
most  active  solicitude.  The  prelate  often  offered 
his  prayers  to  God  to  know  to  what  Rule  it  was 
most  suitable  to  bind  the  new  society.  He  had  a 
great  liking  for  the  Visitation,  founded  by  St.  Francis 
de  Sales ;  and  a  circumstance  strengthened  the 
conviction  of  both  himself  and  Miss  Lalor,  that  in 
this,  perhaps,  he  followed  the  designs  of  God. 
Among  some  old  books  belonging  to  the  Poor 
Clares — then  at  Georgetown — was  found  the  com- 
plete text  of  the  Rules  and  Constitutions  of  the 
Visitation,  although  the  nuns  were  wholly  unaware 
that  they  ever  possessed  the  volume. 

Bishop  Neale,  however,  failed  in  his  endeavors  to 


i 


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iiliii 


,i|aiM,ii!; 


PI 


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426 


J'/it^  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America. 


obtain  the  aid  of  some  Visitation  Nuns  from 
Europe  in  order  to  form  his  American  novices  to 
their  Rule  Many  Catholics  also  blamed  the  pro- 
ject  of  establishing  a  new  religious  community  in  the 
United  States,  fearing  to  excite  sectarian  fanaticism 
— then,  and  for  many  years  after,  a  great  bugbear. 
But  the  clouds  of  difficulty  and  opposition  vanished 
by  degrees. 

On  the  departure  of  the  Poor  Clares  for  Europe 
in  1805,  Bishop  Neale  purchased  their  convent.  He 
immediately  mstalled  in  it  the  "  Pious  Ladies" — the 
name  by  which  the  future  Visitation  Nuns  were 
then  known — and  by  a  deed  of  June  9th,  1808, 
transferred  the  property  to  Alice  Lalor,  Maria 
McDermott,  and  Mary  Neale. 

When  the  little  community  was  erected  by  the 
Holy  See  into  a  convent  of  the  Visitation,  Miss 
Lalor  became  the  first  Superioress,  under  the  name 
of  Mother  Teresa  Lalor.  In  1817,  Dr.  Neale  died. 
Archbishop  of  Baltimore,  and  was  buried  in  the 
convent  chapel  which  his  zeal  and  his  affection  had 
reared  ad  major  em  Dei  gloriam. 

Mother  Teresa  Lalor  more  than  once  beheld  her 
spiritual  daughters  in  such  distress  thnt  1  "^^an 
prudence  commanded   them  to  disr  But  she 

was  a  brave  lady,  and  her  confident  urod  was     n. 

shaken.  She  continued  to  receive  ^  stulants,  rely, 
ing  on  that  Providence  which  feeds  the  bi  ds  of  the 
air,  to    maintain  her  institute.     Among  those  who 


Stephen  Theodore  Badin. 


42/ 


entered  in  those  dark  days,  was  Mrs  V.  H.  Barber, 
the  wife  of  the  famous  convert  minister.  In  later 
times.  Miss  Virginia  Scott,  daughter  of  the  dis- 
tinguished American  General,  became  a  nun  at 
Georgetown. 

The  venerable  foundress  lived  to  see  five  houses 
of  her  Order  established,  and  went  to  receive  the 
reward  of  the  blessed  in  the  fall  of  1846,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty  years.  Her  briglit  name  shall 
pass  down  to  future  generations  as  one  of  the  great 
educators  and  saintly  women  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 


STEPHEN  THE:0D0RE  BADIN, 

THE  FIRST  PRIEST  ORDAINED  IN  THE  UNITED  STA  TES. 
Hied  A.  D.  1853. 

AMONG  the  good  and  gifted  men  that  the 
French  Revolution  cast  upon  our  shores  was 
Stephen  Theodore  Badin.  He  was  born  at  Orleans, 
France,  on  the  17th  of  July,  1768.  He  received  a 
finished  classical  education  at  the  College  Montagu, 
Paris;  and  pursued  his  theological  studies  in  the 
seminary  of  his  native  city.  The  Bishop  of  Orleans, 
however,  had  taken  the  odious  constitutional  oath. 
Voungf  Badin  decided  not  to  receive  ordination  at 


Ml 


P9i' 


428  T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  0/  America. 

the  hands  of  such  a  man,  and  as  the  rumble  of  the 
terrible  Revolution  became  everyday  more  distinct, 
he  sailed  for  the  United  States,  arriving  at  Phila- 
delphia in  March,  1792.  Bishop  Cairoll  received  him 
with  great  kindness. 

Father  Badin  was  raised  to  the  sacred  dignity  of 
the  priesthood  on  the  25th  of  May,  1793 — bviing  the 
first  priest  ordained  in  tliis  Republic.  Prince  Gal- 
litzin,  as  we  have  already  learned,  was  the  second 

The  Catholics  of  Kentucky  had  no  priest.  Bishop 
Carroll  hinted  to  Father  Badin  his  intention  of 
sending  him  to  that  distant  mission.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising to  learn,  however,  that  the  inexperienced 
yfuing  priest,  with  a  sliglic  knowledge  of  English, 
exhibited  some  reluctance  about  plunging  into  the 
wilderness.  The  Bishop  listened  to  his  reasons 
It  was  proposed  to  commend  the  matter  to  God  by 
making  a  Novena.     After  nine  days  they  met  again. 

"Well,"  said  Bishop  Carroll,  "I  have  prayed,  and 
I  am  still  of  the  same  mind." 

"  I  have  also  prayed,"  replied  Father  Badin, 
smiling,  *' and  I  am  likev/ise  of  the  same  mind.  Of 
what  use, then,  has  been  our  prayer  for  nine  days?'* 

Bishop  C:  rroU  smiled,  too,  and  after  a  pause, 
said,  with  great  sweetness  and  dignity  :  "  I  lay  no 
command  ;  but  I  think  it  is  the  will  of  God  that 
you  should  go."  Father  Badin,  without  a  nioment's 
hesitation,  answered  with  great  earnestness — "  1  will 
go,  then." 


Stephen  Theodore  Badin, 


429 


le  of  the 

:  distinct, 

at  Phila- 

eived  him 

dignity  of 
b^ing  the 
rince  Gal- 
le  second 
t.    Bishop 
ention   of 
is  not  sur- 
<pericnced 
f   English, 
g  into  the 
s   reasons 
to  God  by 
met  again, 
rayed, and 

her  Badin, 
mind.  Of 
ine  days?'* 
r  a  pause, 
«'  I  lay  /lo 
God  that 
a  moment's 
^ss— "  1  will 


It  seems  there  were  no  large  trunks  to  be  packed, 
and  the  energetic  young  missionary  was  soon  ready 
for  the  journey.  He  was  assigned,  as  companion, 
a  more  aged  clergyman,  Father  Barrieres,  wlio  was 
made  Vicar-General.  Leaving  Baltimore  witii  staves 
in  their  hands,  on  the  6th  of  September,  1793,  the 
two  priestj,  on  foot,  puslied  along  the  muddy  roads 
to  Pittsburg,  where  they  embarked  in  a  flat-boat 
with  a  company  of  emigrants  for  Kentucky.  Their 
passage  was  full  of  adventure.  On  landing  at 
Maysville,  they  again  started  on  foot  for  Lexington, 
a  distance  of  sixty-five  miles.  This  journey  could 
not  be  accomplished  in  one  day.  Night  came  on. 
It  was  passed  in  an  open  mill,  lodging  on  the  mill- 
bags  without  the  slightest  covering,  during  a  cold 
period  towards  the  close  of  November.  On  reach- 
ing their  destination,  the  priests  commenced  their 
labors.  Father  Badin  said  his  first  Mass,  in  that 
region,  at  the  house  of  Denis  MacCarthy,  an  Irish 
Catholic.  After  four  months,  however,  he  found 
himself  alone,  as  his  colleague  was  glad  to  leave 
Kentucky. 

Nothing  daunted,  the  youthful  apostle  fixed  his 
residence  near  the  little  chapel,  and  began  his  career 
of  toil.  Referring  to  this  temple  of  worship  in  the 
wilderness.  Dr.  Snalding  says  it  "  was  a  temporary 
hut,  covered  with  clapboards,  and  was  unprovided 
with  glass  in  the  windows.  A  slab  of  wood,  roughly 
hewed,  served  for  an  altar.  Such  was  the  first 
Catholic  church  in  Kentucky." 


ml 


430 


T/ie  Catholic  Pioneers  of  America, 


No  pen  can  picture  the  hardships,  anxieties,  and 
privations  which  fell  to  the  lot  of  Father  Badin  in 
the  v'ist  field  committed  to  his  care.  During  all 
seasons — and  often  at  night — he  had  to  travel 
through  unbroken  forests,  cross  flooded  rivers,  ex- 
pose  his  life  to  the  tomahawk  of  the  Indian,  and 
contend  single-handed  with  the  ignorance,  prejudices, 
and  bitter  hostility  of  sectarians.  He  was  alone 
for  nearly  three  years ;  and  at  one  period  he  was 
twenty-one  months  without  an  opportunity  of  going 
to  confession. 

He  found  about  three  hundred  Catholic  families 
scattered  all  over  the  State:  and  during  his  mis- 
sionary career  in  Kentucky  he  must  have  rode  on 
horseback  at  least  one  hundred  thousand  miles. 
He  often  rode  from  fifty  to  eighty  miles  on  a  sick- 
call.  "After  one  of  these  long  rides,"  writes  Dr. 
Spalding,  "  he  found  the  sick  man  sitting  on  a  stool, 
eating  hard-boiled  eggs  to  cure  the  pleurisy  !" 

The  ignorant  bigotry  of  the  times  called,  once  in 
a  while,  for  religious  controversy;  and  skill  and 
learning  never  failed  Father  Badin  on  such  occa- 
sions. Some  of  his  flock  were  also  excellent  con- 
troversialists. One  of  these  was  Judge  Tvvyman, 
who,  while  attending  the  court  in  Mason  County, 
happened  to  be  taking  his  dinner  at  a  hotel,  where 
religious  discussion  was  brought  to  the  front. 
Catholics  were  loudly  abused  and  laughed  at  as  a 
lot  of  fools.     "They adore  images, and  worship  the 


Stephen  Theodore  Br  din.  43 1 

Virgin,"  remarked  one  of  the  wiseacres.  The  Juclge 
listened  in  silence..  When  the  conversation  had 
ceased,  he  arose,  and  said,  with  great  slowness  and 
deliberation:  "Look  at  nie !  Do  yon  think  I  am  a 
fool?  I  am  a  Catholic.  1  was  brought  up  a  Pro- 
testant,  but  embraced  the  Catholic  Religion  after 
a  long  and  careful  examination."  This  little  speech 
created  quite  a  sensation,  and  not  a  word  more  was 
said  against  Catholics. 

A  minister  once  remarked  to  a  lady  member  of 
Father  Badin's  flock,  that  he  v^as     surprised  to  see 
a  person  of  her  good  sense  a  follower  of  the   Pope, 
who     was     certainly     Antichrist,     and     the    beast 
of    the    Revelations."     The    lady     continued     her 
knitting  until   he   was  through;  and,    then  raising 
her  eyes,  she  quietly  asked  the  inf.dlible  Bibleman: 
"Do  you  know  grammar,   sir?"     He  said,  "Yes." 
"Well,"  resumed  the  lady,   "is  Antichrist  singular 
or    plural?"      "Singular,"     he    answered,    feeling 
rather     uncomfortable.     "Are     two    hundred    and 
fifty-six  po-es  singular  or  plural?"  she   said.     He 
was    obliged    to    say,  "  Plural."     "  Therefore,    the 
Pope  is  not  Antichrist,"  she  remarked  with  emphasis  ; 
and  the  preacher  took  his  way  in  sadness  from  that 
house. 

After  some  years,  two  fellow-laborers  came  to  the 
indefatigable  Father  Badin's  assistance.  One  of  them, 
Rev.  Mr.  Salmon,  died  from  the  effects  of  an  unhappy 
accident — a  fall  from   his  horse.     "The  accident," 


m 

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432 


T/te  Catholic  Pioneers  of  A  merica. 


writes  Father  Badin,  "  happened  about  noon,  at  a 
little  distance  from  a  residcn.ce.  A  servant,  who 
found  him  half  dead  in  the  woods,  went  to  solicit  aid, 
which  was  denied  him  by  an  impious  and  cruel 
farmer,  simply  because  the  unfortunate  man  was  a 
priest.  It  was  only  towards  night  that  a  good 
Catholic  of  the  neighborhood  was  informed  of  the 
fact." 

One  by  one,  other  priests  came,  and  at  length,  in 
l8o8,  Bardstown,  Ky.,  became  an  episcopal  see:  and 
three  years  later.  Bishop  Flaget  was  welcomed  to 
Father  Badin's  sixteen-feet-square  log  cabin.  The 
growth  of  the  Church  was  remarkable  in  "  the  dark 
and  bloody  ground." 

Father  Badin  paid  a  visit  to  his  native  land,  and 
after  his  return,  continued  his  missionary  labors  in 
Kentucky,  Illinois,  and  Ohio.  A  vigorous  constitu- 
tion and  active  habits  enabled  him  to  get  through  an 
immense  amount  of  work.  To  preach  and  sing  Mass 
was  his  delight.  His  mind  was  highly  cultivated. 
Roaming  the  woods  of  Kentucky  did  not  make  him 
forget  his  Homer  and  Virgil.  He  was  an  excellent 
Latin  scholar,  and  his  Latin  poem  in  praise  of 
Perry's  victory  over  the  English  on  Lake  Erie  was 
much  admired.  His  Principles  of  Catholics^  printed 
at  Bardstown  in  1807,  was  the  first  Catholic  work 
published  in  the  West.  This  apostolic  man  died  at 
Cincinnati  on  the  15th  of  April,  1853,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-five  years.     And  thus  rested 


»-- 


oon,  at  a 
ant,  who 
olicitaid, 
nd  cruel 
m  was  a 
a  good 
d  of  the 


Stephen  Theodore  Badin. 


433 


from  his  labors,  after  nearly  sixty  years'  toil  in  the 
holy  ministry,  the  first  priest  ordained  in  the  United 
States,  and  the  last  Catholic  Pioneer  for  whom  I  can 
find  a  place  in  my  little  volume. 

A,  M,  D,  G, 


ngth,  in 
see:  and 
>med  to 
n.  The 
the  dark 


ind,  and 
ibors  in 
:onstitu- 
ough  an 
ig  Mass 
tivated. 
ike  him 
ccellent 
aise   of 
rie  was 
printed 
ic  work 
died  at 
he  ad- 
rested 


